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THE TEACHING OF 
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES 

FOR 

YOUNG PEOPLE'S CLASSES 

IN 

ALL EVANGELICAL CHURCHES 

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BY 

DUSTON KEMBLE 
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PHILADELPHIA 
AMERICAN SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 

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Copyright, 1908, by The American Sunday-School Union. 



FOREWORD. 



These lessons are intended as a simple outline of 
the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, presented in 
logical form, but free from the usual technical terms. 
Each lesson should be carefully read and compared 
with the Scripture references as given; then recited 
to the teacher, parent, or pastor in answers to the 
printed questions. The references to be most help- 
ful should be looked up and read in the class. 
The personal prayer and verses following each lesson 
should be learned and repeated from time to time. 
The entire forty lessons in this volume may be 
taken up week by week in the period corresponding 
to the school year in the United States, beginning 
some time in September and ending in June, or they 
may be taken three times a week, between the holi- 
days and Easter. The classes may be composed of 
young persons from the age of about twelve to fifteen 
years and upward, according to their previous train- 
ing and personal disposition; but some who are much 
older may also find the lessons profitable as a state- 
ment of the Christian faith from a present-day, 
evangelical standpoint. Should these pages present 
a broader view and a deeper insight into the essential 
truths of the Holy Scriptures as a source of religi- 
ous authority, the result will be well worth all the 

3 



4 FOREWORD. 

effort that may be necessary. For ours is a Christian 
civilization, and these are the teachings that for 
nearly two thousand years have underlaid our social 
life, our moral standards, our humane progress, and 
our spiritual faith and hope for the Future, 



CONTENTS. 



PART I. 

PAGE 

I. The Holy Scriptures 9 

II. The Supreme Being 13 

III. The Work of Creation 17 

IV. The Nature and Place of Man 21 

V. The Moral Law 25 

VI. Sin and its Consequences 29 

VII. The Holy Spirit 33 

VIII. Prayer and Divine Providence 37 

IX. The Covenant with God 41 

X. The Separation of God's People 45 

XI. The Law of Reverence toward God 49 

XII. The Law of Sabbath Rest and Worship. . 53 

XIII. The Law of the Family and Respect to 

Parents 58 

XIV. The Laws of Common Morality. . . 62 

XV. The Duty of Repentance from Sin 66 

XVI. The Necessity of Conflict with Evil 70 

XVII. The Principle of Moral Sacrifice 74 

XVIII. The Prophecies and Prophetic Types .,. . 78 

XIX. The Preparations for Messiah's Coming. . 82 

PART II. 

XX. Jesus Christ, the Saviour 89 

XXI. His Sermon on the Mount 93 

XXII. His Miracles of Mercy and Power. 98 

XXIII. His Parables of the Kingdom 102 

5 



6 CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

XXIV. His Conversations with Men 107 

XXV. His Prophecies of the Future ... Ill 

XXVI. His Discourse at the Supper 116 

XXVII. His Sufferings, Death, and Resurrection. 120 

XXVIII. The Apostolic Church 125 

XXIX. The Gospel Method of Saving Men 130 

XXX. The Call of God to the Sinner 135 

XXXI. The New Birth of the Soul, 140 

XXXII. The Law of Christian Liberty 145 

XXXIII. The Dangers of Temptation 149 

XXXIV. The Life of Christian Service 153 

XXXV. The Christian Virtues 158 

XXXVI. The Christian Graces 163 

XXXVII. The Value of Discipline 167 

XXXVIII. The Fellowship of Believers 172 

XXXIX. The Things to Come 177 

XL. Personal Responsibility 182 



PART FIRST 



THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

The Bible is sometimes called the Holy Scriptures, 
because it contains the early history and teachings of 
the Christian religion ; and because it is composed of 
many different books, written at various times and 
places by men of the Hebrew race ; — prophets, priests, 
and apostles, or their associates and companions, 1 but 
the exact date and authorship of each book cannot 
always be ascertained. 

These Scriptures are usually divided into two parts 
called the Old and New Testaments ; the former con- 
taining all the sacred writings accepted by the ancient 
Jewish Church, and the latter containing the personal 
history and sayings of Jesus Christ, also the writings 
of his apostles and followers who became the builders 
of the Christian Church. 2 

The Old Testament is accepted also by Christians as 
containing many things necessary for the instruction 
of mankind, and to prepare the world for the coming 
of Jesus Christ, who lived and taught the perfect form 
of religion in Palestine some 1900 years ago, and who 
is still held in reverence as the ever-living Saviour of 
men, the head of a divine and spiritual kingdom. 

There are thirty-nine books or writings in the 
Old Testament, all of which are believed to have been 
written and collected several centuries before Christ. 
These writings contain an account of the creation of 
the world and of the early history of the human race ; 
also the annals of the Hebrew people from the patri- 
9 



10 THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

archs down to Ezra, the builder of the second temple 
at Jerusalem. 

They also give us the laws of Moses for reverence, 
purity, justice, and mercy; and the laws of the 
priesthood, sacrifices and offerings. Besides all 
these, we have the Psalms of meditation, prayer, and 
praise to Almighty God, the Hebrew Proverbs, the 
Books of Wisdom, and the story of Job; also the 
preaching and visions of the Hebrew prophets. 4 

The high morality of these ancient writings, their 
spiritual types and prophecies which since have been 
realized in the Christian religion, and their general 
agreement with the revelations of modern science 
and discovery, all lead us to accept their claims of 
divine inspiration; that is, that their teachings were 
imparted to good men by the Spirit of God. 5 

That a human element exists in the Bible, and that 
its contents have been slightly modified in trans- 
mission through the centuries, does not materially 
impair either its essential truth or its authority as 
an instructor. 9 

The twenty-seven books of the New Testament rest 
upon the life, teachings, and character of Jesus 
Christ as the promised Messiah, and the Author of 
spiritual life in them who truly believe on Him, 7 



" The most learned, acute, and diligent student can- 
this one volume. (The more deeply he works the 
mine, the richer and more abundant he finds the ore). 
New light continually beams from this source of 
heavenly knowledge, to direct our conduct and illus- 
trate the work of God and the ways of men: and he 



THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. H 

will at last leave the world confessing that the more 
he studied the Scriptures, the fuller conviction he had 
of his own ignorance, and of their inestimable value." 

Sir Walter Scott. 

" There are no songs comparable to the songs of 
Zion; no orations equal to those of the prophets; 
and no politics like those the Scriptures teach." 

John Milton. 

REFERENCES. 

i 2 Tim. 3 : 14-17. John 5 : 39. Heb. 1 : 1-2. Rom. 15 : 4, 
16 : 25-26. 

2 Deut. 31 : 9-12, 24-26. Josh. 1 : 7-8. Luke 4 : 16-22. Jno. 
21 : 24-25. 

3 Gal. 3 : 24-25. John 5 : 45-47. Luke 24 : 25-27. Matt. 
5: 17-18. 

* Gen. 2 : 4, 5 : 1. Num. 36 : 13. Deut. 1 : 1, 4 : 1-14. Josh. 
1:7-8, 8:34-35. 2 Kings 22:8-13. Neh. 8:1-5, 17. John 
1 : 17, 45, 7 : 19, 22-23. Matt. 12 : 40-42. Luke 20 : 42, 
24 : 44 Jas. 5 : 11, 17-18. 

« Ex. 4 : 10-15, 33 : 9-11. Lev. 26 : 46, 27 : 34. 1 Sam. 
23 : 1-2. Job 32 : 8. 2 Cor. 4 : 5-7. 2 Peter 1 : 19-21, 

3 : 15-16. 

6 Matt. 5 : 21-22, 33-34, 38-39, 43-44. John 6 : 63. Rom. 
2:29,7:6. 1 Cor. 13 : 9-12. 2 Cor. 3 : 6. 

7 Matt. 14 : 33. Luke 20 : 1-8. Acts 2 : 22-24, 32-36, 

4 : 10-12. Heb. 9 : 13-15. 

QUESTIONS. \ 

What name is often applied to the Bible, and why? 

Into what two parts are the Holy Scriptures divided? 

Who are the people that accept only tne Old Testament? 

What matters are contained in the New Testament? 

Why is the Old Testament accepted also by Christians? 

Who was Jesus Christ, and how is he still regarded? 

How many books in the Old Testament, and when written? 

What matters of history, law, devotion, wisdom, and 
prophecy do they contain? 

What three reasons have we for accepting the claim of 
divine inspiration for the Old Testament Scriptures? 



12 THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

How is this claim affected by a human element in the 
Bible, or by slight changes in long transmission? 

Upon what persons's life and teachings does the authority 
of the New Testament chiefly rest? 

PRAYER. 

O Lord, I am but a child before thee, and in great 
need of thy instructions. Show me, I beseech thee, 
the path of life, that I may walk therein and find a 
blessing. May thy word be revealed to my under- 
standing, making me wise unto salvation. May thy 
truth and grace enable me to see the light in thy 
light, and to dwell with thee forevermore. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, BURLINGTON.) 

What glory gilds the sacred page! 

Majestic like the sun, 
It gives a light to every age, 

It gives, but borrows none. 

The power that gave it still supplies 
The gracious light and heat; 

Its truths upon the nations rise, 
They rise, but never set. 

Lord, everlasting thanks be thine 

For such a bright display, 
As makes a world of darkness shine 

With beams of heavenly day. 

My soul rejoices to pursue 

The steps of Him I love, 
Till glory breaks upon my view 

In brighter worlds above. 

Wm. Cowper. 



II. 

THE SUPREME BEING. 

In all ages and countries, men of every condition 
have been made to feel from time to time their own 
weakness and littleness in the presence of the un- 
known forces around them and in the vicissitudes 
incident to our human lives. They have also real- 
ized a sense of dependence upon some mysterious 
Power that is higher and greater than themselves. 1 

Hence some have turned to a rock or a tree, a 
stream of water or a mountain top, which they wor- 
shipped as the seat of a supernatural presence, and 
the source of some malign or protecting power. 
Others have sought an animate thing, as a bird, or 
beast, or reptile, and worshipped these because of 
the life in them, whether manifested in a beautiful 
or repulsive form, not reflecting that such creatures 
are lower than themselves. 2 

Again, some have turned to the sun, or moon, or 
stars, as enduring objects far above the world and 
its corruptions; or they have personified and adored 
the powers of Nature, often representing them in 
images of human or partly human form, to express 
the idea of a personality. 3 

A few have worshipped their deceased ancestors, 
or great men, as though these had not once been like 
ourselves on the earth, and equally dependent on 
some higher Power; while still a few others in mod- 
ern days have turned to adore an abstraction, like 
" the unknown God," once worshipped at Athens. 4 

Now, it is one of the marks of inspiration in the 
13 



14 THE SUPREME BEING. 

Holy Scriptures that from the very first verse of the 
sacred record they present us with a far higher and 
more satisfying conception of God than has yet 
been attained by any of these religions. 

The teaching of the Bible on this subject is most 
clear and satisfactory. The basis of all religious 
faith and hope is the assurance that there is a per- 
sonal and holy God, of infinite wisdom and power, 
who is the Author and Preserver of the Universe, 
and presides over the lives and destinies of all crea- 
tures, including ourselves. 6 

Since God is a spirit, He is not dependent, as we 
are, upon any physical conditions of cold or heat, 
light or darkness, food or drink, form or locality; 
but He dwells in our midst, a constant Presence and 
Power, while hidden to sight and sense, and far 
transcending all visible things in His nature and 
sovereignty. 6 

Since, too, He is the Supreme Being, there may be, 
and indeed, we are told there are, other spiritual 
beings, as angels and demons, cherubim and seraphim, 
and the souls of people who once lived on this earth; 
yet there is and can be only one Lord God Almighty, 
" in whom we live and move and have our being." 7 

And, because God is a Person, and not an Abstrac- 
tion, He is full of life, and feeling, and a prudent 
concern for the order of the Universe and for the 
best interests of His kingdom; so that He cannot be 
indifferent to the welfare of His creatures, nor to the 
moral consistency of things, no matter where they 
are found. 8 

Moreover, God is a perfect Being in whom there can 
be nothing of darkness, or defect, or contradiction, 
or failure; and hence His never ceasing life and 
activities are all and ever directed to an outcome of 
truth, righteousness, and love. 9 



THE SUPREME BEING. 15 

" We know God easily, if we do not constrain our- 
selves to define Him." 

Joubert. 

" The very word " God " suggests care, kindness, 
goodness; and the idea of God in his infinity, is infi- 
nite care, infinite kindness, infinite goodness. We 
give God the name of " Good." It is only by short- 
ening that it becomes God." 

H. W. Beecher. 

" We should give God the same place in our hearts 
that He holds in the universe." 

Unknown. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Gen. 4 : 26, 8 : 20, 12 : 7-8, 32 : 6-11. Job 14 : 1-6. Ps. 
16 ; 46 : 1-7, 71 : 1-3. Jonah 1 : 5. 

2 Ex. 20:4-5, 32:1-6. Deut. 12:1-3. 1 Kings 12:26-33, 
14 : 22-23. Isa. 44 : 9-19. 

3 Deut. 4 : 15-19. 2 Kings 21 : 3-6, 23 : 4-6. Isa. 47 : 13. 
Jer. 8 : 1-2. Acts 19 : 35. 

* Dan. 4 : 28-37. Isa. 14 : 4-19. Acts 12 : 20-23, 17 : 22-23. 
2 Thess. 2 : 3-4. 

5 Heb. 11 : 6. Job 12 : 9-10. Ps. 139 : 1-12, 145 ; 146 ; 
147. Acts 14- 14-18. 

« 1 Kings 8 : 27. John 1:18, 4 : 24. Acts 17 : 24-29. 
1 Tim. 1 : 17. Rev. 1 : 8. 

» Gen. 3 : 24, 28 : 12. Ps. 34 : 7, 103 : 20. Matt. 12 : 24-28, 
25 : 31. Heb. 1 : 4-7, 12 : 22-23. 1 Peter 3 : 22. Rev. 3 : 5, 
5: 11. 

8 Gen. 18 : 23-26. Job 34 : 10-12, 21-25. Ps. 34 : 15-22. 
Jer. 16 : 17, 32 : 17-19. 

9 Matt. 5 : 48. John 1 : 4-5. 1 Tim. 6 : 15-16. Jas. 1 : 17. 
1 John 1 : 5. 

QUESTIONS. 

What two kinds of feeling leading to some sort of wor- 
ship are natural to men everywhere? 

What is the first class of objects they worship? 
Mention another class of objects of worship. 
Name still a third and fourth class of such objects. 
Are men and abstract notions ever worshipped? 



16 THE SUPREME BEIXG. 

Where was found a case of the last mentioned? 

How does the Bible doctrine of God compare with all 
these ? 

What is the basis of all religious faith and hope? 

How far is a spirit God dependent upon physical con- 
ditions, and where is His dwelling place? 

Are there any other spirit beings besides God? 

Does God care for His creatures or for moral conduct? 

In what senses is God a perfect Being? 

Toward what objects are His activities directed? 

PRATER. 

Grant me, O Lord, to know Thee, the only true and 
living God, who inhabitest eternity, and who visitest 
the children of men. Cause me to see Thy wisdom 
and power in all Thy w T orks, to behold Thy glory in 
the sanctuary. Verily, Thou art a God that hidest 
Thyself; yet wilt Thou dwell with him that is of a 
lowly and a contrite spirit, that seeketh to worship 
Thee. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, HAMBURG.) 

Thine, Lord, is wisdom, thine alone; 

Justice and truth before Thee stand, 
Yet nearer to Thy sacred throne 

Mercy withholds Thy lifted hand. 

Each evening shows Thy tender love, 

Each rising morn Thy plenteous grace; 

Thy wakened wrath doth slowly move, 
Thy willing mercy flies apace. 

To Thy benign, indulgent care, 

Father, this light, this breath w T e owe; 
And all we have, and all we are, 

From Thee, great Source of being, flow. 

Thrice Holy, Thine the kingdom is; 

The power omnipotent is Thine: 
And when created nature dies, 

Thy never ceasing glories shine. 

E. Lange, tr. by J. Wesley. 



III. 

THE WORK OF CREATION. 

The teaching of the Holy Scriptures is that God 
not only rules the visible Universe, 1 and its living 
creatures; but that all these things, living or non- 
living, are made by him for his own wise and holy 
purposes. 2 What he was doing before the world was 
made, we do not know, nor is it necessary for us 
to know; although there are suggestions in the Bible 
of a previous order of things where God was also 
Ruler. 3 

Now this teaching that the present world has not 
always been in existence in its present form or nearly 
so, as some persons have fondly imagined, is another 
of the strong indications that the Holy Scriptures are 
true. For everything around us appears to be con- 
stantly in a state of change; the winds, the weather, 
the seasons, the flowers and fruits of the earth; some 
are growing, while others are maturing or passing 
away, and so the whole living world is being made 
new every few months or years. 

But the same thing is true of the very foundations 
of the earth, only they have been much longer on the 
way; yet science teaches us that they also had a 
beginning, as doubtless had also the sun, moon and 
stars in the sky, and everything that we can possibly 
see or know. Now, all these things are so com- 
plicated, yet so orderly, so useful, and in the main so 
full of beauty and grace, that we cannot possibly 
think they have made themselves or that they are 
the result of a grand, happy set of chances.* 
2 17 



18 THE WORK OF CREATION. 

The Scriptures do not declare that all the world 
was made at once, nor in a single day. The work 
of creation required six days, according to the wis- 
dom of God; and as there was no sun to mark the 
days at first, no one knows how long they really 
were; but they were probably very, very long, in- 
deed, for God never has to be in a hurry about his 
work. 5 

The order of these days as given in Genesis is 
wonderfully like that which appears in a study of 
the rocks and other elements of the present earth. 
First, the whole earth was formless and empty, a 
great waste of waters covered by thick darkness; but 
the Spirit of God, that is, his Spirit of wisdom and 
power, brooded over the face of the deep, and He 
caused the light to break forth out of darkness. 6 

Then the clouds of rain were separated from the 
deep, and through their rifts the sky began to ap- 
pear; while the surface of the globe was divided into 
seas and continents, with smaller islands and inland 
lakes and rivers. 7 Then vegetation began to appear 
on the land; the grass, the herbs, and trees; and 
presently clearer weather began to let the sun, moon 
and stars be seen in their places; while the swimming 
creatures of the seas and the flying things of the air 
above preceded the creeping things of the earth, the 
beasts of the forest, and the cattle of the field. 8 

At last, the mighty work was finished; and when 
there was a garden-like place fit for the abode of 
human beings, man was created, last of all, just as 
science also declares, confirming the Scripture ac- 
count. 9 



THE WORK OF CREATION. 19 

" The world is God's letter to mankind. His 
thoughts are flashing upon us from every direction." 

Plato. 

" It is a beautiful and blessed world that we live 
in, and to lose the right enjoyment of it while life 
lasts is a sin." 

A. W. Chambers. 

" The heavens and the earth alike speak of God, 
and the great natural world is but another Bible, 
which clasps and binds the written one; for nature 
and grace are one; — grace the heart of the flower, 
and nature but its surrounding petals." 

H. W. Beecher. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Ps. 66 :7 ; 103 : 19. Dan. 4 : 25. John 19 : 10-11. Rev. 15 : 3-4. 

2 Gen. 1 : 1. Ps. 33 : 6-9. John 1 : 3, 10. Col. 1 : 16-17. Heb. 1 : 10. 

8 Job 38 : 4-7. Ps. 90 : 1-2. Prov. 8 : 22-31. John 17 : 5, 24. 2 Peter 
2:4. Judel:6. 
4 Ps. 104:24. 146:5-6. Prov. 3 : 19-20. Jer. 10 : 10-13. Acts 14 : 15. 
6 Gen. 2:1-4. Ex. 20:11. Ps. 90:4. 2 Peter 3: 8. 

6 Gen. 1 : 2-5. Job 38 : 12-20. Isa. 40 : 12-14. 2 Cor. 4 : 5-6. 

7 Gen. 1 : 6-10. Job 26 : 7-13 ; 38 : 8-11. 2 Peter 3 : 5. 

8 Gen. 1 : 11-25. Ps. 50 : 10-12 ; 104 : 10-31. Luke 12: 6, 24, 27. 

9 Gen. 1:25-30; 2:7,8. Psa. 8:1-9, 94:9. Prov. 20:12. Isa. 
40:28-31. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is God's relation to the visible universe according to the 
Holy Scriptures ? 

What was God doing before the world was made ? 

How is this idea of world creation confirmed ? 

Why may we not think the world came by chance ? 

How long did God work in creating the world ? 

What confirms the Bible account of the order of Creation ? 

Name the successive stages of Creation, whether by days or as 
steps in the great progress of that work ? 

What was the last work of God's creation ? 



20 THE WORK OF CREATION. 



PRAYER. 



Help me, O God, to remember that Thou alone art 
the Creator. Thou hast spread out the heavens like a 
curtain. Thou hast established the earth upon the 
floods. In thy hands is the breath of all the living. 
Thou preservest man and beast, and givest them 
their food in due season. Lord, our Lord, how 
excellent is thy name in all the earth! Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, DIX.) 

Let us with a gladsome mind 
Praise the Lord, for he is kind, 
For his mercies shall endure 
Ever faithful, ever sure. 

Let us sound his name abroad 
For of Gods he is the God, 
Who by wisdom did create 
Heaven's expanse and all its state. 

Did the solid earth ordain 
How to rise above the main; 
Who by his commanding might 
Filled the new made earth with light. 

Caused the golden tressed sun 
All the day his course to run; 
And the moon to shine by night 
Mid her spangled sisters bright. 

All his creatures God doth feed, 
His full hand supplies their need; 
He hath with a pitying eye 
Looked upon our misery. 

Let us, therefore, warble forth 
His high majesty and worth, 
For his mercy shall endure, 
Ever faithful, ever sure. 

John Milton. 



IV. 

THE NATURE AND PLACE OF MAN. 

The Scriptures tell us that all mankind, or the 
human race, is derived from a single pair of per- 
sons; and therefore, in a general sense, all men are 
equal in the sight of their Creator, as all are en- 
dowed with the same nature and faculties, although 
in varying degrees of development. 1 

Moreover, woman is not the inferior nor the 
superior of man; but his equal and helpmeet; that 
is, as filling a peculiar social sphere, which is indis- 
pensable to the well-being of the race. 2 It follows 
that children should yield respect and obedience to 
their parents; while the latter are to exercise a 
wise care and patient control over their children. 3 

More than this, all men are to have regard for the 
rights of others, whether rich or poor, wise or sim- 
ple, great or small, remembering that all are children 
of one Father, and that each is entitled to some of 
that divine favor which we all desire for ourselves in 
our earthly life. 4 

At the same time, the Scriptures teach that man 
is the highest of all God's creatures in this visible 
world, far above bird, or beast, or fish, or any other 
animate being, because he alone enjoys the gift of 
reason and moral sense; thus being able to know 
right and wrong, to apprehend his duty to God, and 
to live a life of real progress. 5 

Because of these special endowments, man is said 
to have been "created in the image of God; " that 
21 



22 THE NATURE AND PLACE OF MAN. 

is, with a personality of feeling, reason, and will, 
which is, in a sense, like the personality of God, 
and brings us to enjoy conscious relations with Him, 
and also to have the prospect of an eternal life with 
Him in heaven. 9 

To man was given the power of articulate speech, 
and dominion over all the other creatures, and also 
over the very elements of Nature itself; so as to 
build houses, weave fabrics, work in metals, till 
the earth, sail the seas, and a thousand things that 
belong to the development of the human race, of 
which much is still to be realized. 

All this was ordered that men might develop 
character, self-control, and responsibility, and show 
themselves worthy to be called " the children of 
God," as He also permits us to call Him " Father." 
To cultivate this highest and noblest side of our 
human nature is the work of true religion, and the 
object of God in giving us the Bible. 7 

Many, indeed, have already realized much of this 
splendid aim in the conduct of their lives and in the 
work they have done for others, often at the cost of 
great labor and sacrifice; but no less with the reward 
of great moral satisfaction and the approval of God 
himself. 



"Man himself is the crowning wonder of creation; 
the study of his nature is the noblest study that the 
world affords." 

W. E. Gladstone. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Gen. 3 : 20, 6 : 17-20. 7 : 17-23. 9 : 19. 10 : 32, 11 : 1-9. 
Job 34: 18-19. Acts 17: 26. 

2 Gen. 1 : 27, 2 : 21-23. Prov. 18 : 22, 19 : 14, 31 : 10-31. 
1 Cor. 11 : 11-12. 



THE NATURE AND PLACE OF MAN. 23 

a Ex. 20 : 12. Deut. 5 : 16. 1 Sam. 3 : 13. Ephes. 
6 : 1-4. Col. 3 : 20-24. Luke 2 : 51. Ephes. 6 : 4. Col. 3 : 21. 

* Prov. 22 : 2. Luke 10 : 25-37. Acts 10 : 28, 34-35. 
Gal. 3:28. Col. 3: 11. 

6 Gen. 1 : 26-28, 9 : 1-3. Ps. 8 : 3-8. Matt. 10 : 31, 12 : 12. 
Heb. 2:6-8. Rom. 1: 19-20. 

6 Gen. 3 : 22. Ps. 36 : 7-9, 63 : 1-7. Matt. 4:4. 2 Tim. 
1 : 10. John 17 : 3. 

7 Ps. 145 : 8-21. Isa. 55 : 6-13. Hosea 14. John 20 : 31. 

QUESTIONS. 

What does the Bible say of the origin of our race? 
What of the equality of woman with man? 
What of the equal rights of all men before God? 
How is man the highest of God's creations? 
What is meant by the "image of God" in man? 
What are some elements of progress in humanity? 
What appears to be the object of our existence here? 
What is then the aim of true religion and the Bible? 

PRAYER. 

What is man, O Lord, that Thou delightest in 
him ? Thou hast made him a little lower than the 
angels. Thou hast crowned him with glory and 
honor. Thou hast given him dominion over the 
works of Thy majesty ; for he is created in Thy 
image, and in Thy likeness of feeling, thought and 
will. Aid us, O Lord, to be worthy of our wonderful 
gifts and inheritance. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, DUKE STREET.) 

All people that on earth do dwell 

Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice, 

Serve Him with fear, His praise forth tell, 
Come ye before Him and rejoice. 

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed, 
Without our aid He did us make; 

We are His flock, He doth us feed, 

And for His sheep He doth us take. 



24 THE NATURE AND PLACE OF MAN. 

enter, then, His gates with praise, 

Approach with joy His courts unto; 

Praise, laud, and bless His name always, 
For it is seemly so to do. 

For why? The Lord our God is good, 

His mercy is forever sure, 
His truth at all times firmly stood, 

And shall from age to age endure. 

Wm. Kethe. 



V. 

THE MORAL LAW. 

All life and being are controlled, at least to some 
degree, by law. Most of us are already acquainted 
with the various kinds of law or laws, such as the 
civil laws of the land in which we live ; the laws of 
the natural world around us, as manifested in life 
and physical activity of all sorts ; the laws of so- 
ciety, or of trade, or of health; which none of us 
may violate without great danger of inconvenience 
and damage. 

But the highest of all laws in the universe are 
those which are concerned with God's will and char- 
acter in relation to His creatures, and more particu- 
larly in relation to us as His children. We must live 
and think and act in harmony with Him in order to 
attain what He desires for us. 1 

There is a right way as well as a wrong one in 
every part of our life, and it is often difficult to find 
the right way, especially in matters of duty and 
morals. This is very evident from the low stand- 
ards of conduct and character among most of the 
nations of this world ; and to a great extent even 
among many so-called Christians, who come far 
short of living creditable lives. 

From this we see the necessity for a standard of 
moral law in relation to ordinary conduct, such as 
we have in the Holy Sciptures. 2 This is found spe- 
cifically in that part of the law of Moses called " the 
Ten Commandments ;" and after a more refined and 
25 



26 THE MORAL LAW. 

spirtual manner, in " the Beatitudes " pronounced by 
Jesus Christ at the opening of His Sermon on the 
Mount; but both of these outlines of duty are 
further elaborated by many precepts and examples 
in both the Old and New Testaments. 

The Ten Commandments express the moral law 
after a negative manner, by forbidding us to have any 
other but the one true God, or to worship idols, or 
to profane the name of God or the Sabbath day, or 
to show disrespect to our parents, or to kill, or com- 
mit adultery, or to steal, or bear false witness, or to 
covet another's goods ; and each of these expresses 
a great moral principle. 3 

But the Beatitudes teach the more positive inner 
spirit of the moral law by declaring the blessing of 
God upon those who are poor in spirit, who 
mourn for their sins, who are of a meek disposition, 
who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who are 
merciful in conduct, who are pure in heart, who are 
makers of peace, and who endure persecution for the 
sake of what is right.* 

That these two statements of the moral law are 
one in essentials is shown by our observation of hu- 
man nature and history; also by the fact that Jesus 
Christ includes them all in two great Command- 
ments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all 
thy heart, thy soul and mind and strength," and " thy 
neighbor as thyself." Both of these are strongly con- 
firmed by our daily experience as true conditions of 
happiness and blessing. 5 



" The seat of law is in the bosom of God ; her 
voice is the harmony of the world. All things in 
heaven and earth do her homage ; the very least as 
feeling her care, and the greatest as not exempt from 



THE MORAL LAW. 27 

her power. Both angels and men, and creatures of 
whatever condition, though each in a different sort 
and name, yet all with one uniform consent, do ad- 
mire her as the mother of their peace and joy." 

RlCHAKD HOOKER. 

" True law is right reason in conformity with na- 
ture, universal, unchangeable, eternal, whose com- 
mands urge us to duty, and whose prohibitions re- 
strain us from sin." 

Cicero. 

" Ignorance of the law excuses no man." 

Selden. 

REFERENCES. 

i Ps. 19 : 7-11, 40 : 7-8, 71 : 15, 19, 24, 111 : 3. Rom. 
2 : 1-23. Jas. 2 : 10-11. 

2 Ps. 32 : 8-10, 67 : 1-2, 85 : 8-13, 119 : 1-8. Prov. 3 : 1-26. 
Matt. 5:18-19. Heb. 13:20-21. 

3 Ex. 20 : 1-17. Deut. 5 : 6-22. Luke 18 : 18-21. Rom. 
13 : 8-10. 

4 Matt. 5 : 1-12. Luke 6 : 20-23. Rom. 12 : 10-21. 1 Tim. 
4:8. 

5 Matt. 22 : 34-40. Mark 12 : 28-34. Luke 10 : 25-37. 1 
John 4 : 16-21. 

QUESTIONS. 

What power controls all life and being in this world? 

Mention several kinds of law that are familiar. 

What is the result of violating any of these laws? 

Which is the highest of all kinds of law? 

How must we live in relation to God in order to be 
happy? 

Is it always easy to know what God requires of us? 

Where do we see the lack of true moral standards? 

How has God supplied this lack for his people? 

When and where were the Ten Commandments given? 

What various kinds of evil do they prohibit? 

When and where were the Beatitudes uttered to men? 

How do they differ in spirit from the Ten Commandments? 

In what two Commandments did Jesus Christ sum up the 
whole duty of man? 



28 THE MORAL LAW. 

PRAYER. 

O Lord, Thou art full of righteousness and truth, 
and Thy kindness ruleth over all. In equity Thou 
dost judge the world, and hast given Thy law to the 
sons of men. May we learn to know Thy law and to 
love it well! May we meditate therein day and 
night that our profit may appear before Thee, and un- 
der the shadow of Thy wings may we rejoice. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, SALOME.) 

How shall the young secure their hearts 
And guard their lives from sin? 

Thy word the choicest rule imparts 
To keep the conscience clean. 

"When once it enters to the mind, 

It spreads such light abroad, 
The meanest souls instruction find 

And raise their thoughts to God. 

'Tis like the sun, a heavenly light, 

That guides us all the day; 
And through the dangers of the night, 

A lamp to guide our way. 

Thy word is everlasting truth; 

How pure is every page! 
That holy law shall guide cur youth 

And well support our age. 

Isaac Watts. 



VI. 

SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 

Sin, or the violation of God's moral laws, is one 
of the saddest and most terrible facts in human life. 
Since to man has been given the power to exercise 
his own will for good or evil, it is highly necessary 
for us all to appreciate the perils of an evil life. 

The nature of sin is various in both quality and 
intensity ; but its origin with our first parents in 
Eden seems to have been a turning from the inno- 
cent pleasures and comforts of life, represented by 
" the tree of life," to taste of the forbidden fruits of 
another tree, called "the tree of the knowledge of 
good and evil," against which they had been warned 
by the voice of God in their own hearts. 1 

Why they disobeyed this warning is difficult to 
explain, just as it is hard to account for sin to-day 
among people of much intelligence and culture. 
However, it now shows a certain moral weakness, 
vanity, 01 corrupt tendency from which none are 
wholly exempt, and which is wrought upon by some 
external power of influence toward evil, called in the 
Scriptures, " Satan," or " the adversary." 2 

Sin is the greatest cause of misery in this pres- 
ent world ; for while men are more or less subject 
to ignorance and poverty, sickness and accident, all 
of which bring to us pain and sorrow in this life ; 
yet we might endure these with some resignation, 
but for sin which poisons our life at its very source, 
29 



30 SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 

separates us from the love of God, and overwhelms 
us with shame and regret without limit and with- 
out end. 3 

The beginnings of sin are usually small and in- 
sidious, perhaps little more than a simple missing 
of the mark or line of true righteousness, failure 
to realize the purposes of God with respect to our 
existence. Or, it may be an actual transgression of 
the Divine law, an overstepping of the bounds of 
safely and obligation as fixed by our Creator. Or, 
it may be a spirit of willful disobedience and rebel- 
lion against His holy and sovereign .will, which has 
become irksome to our heart. 4 

In any case, the tendency of each sinful act, 
whether by word, thought, or deed, is to grow by 
repetition or indulgence, and to become a constant 
element in our character, unless it can be checked, 
and overcome, and rooted out. 5 

For the consequences of sin are clearly set forth 
in the Holy Scriptures, and this is also confirmed by 
experience. "The wages of sin is death;" that is, 
moral and spiritual degeneracy and ruin, eternal 
separation from God's blessings and mercies, and re- 
ceiving in ourselves the recompense that is meet 
for the wrong we have done to ourselves, to others, 
and to God. 8 

For, those who are led captive by sin, either by 
open trangressions, or by carelessness and neglect of 
duty, become incapable of enjoying communion with 
God, or the society of the pure and good in heaven ; 
and they could not long be content even with each 
other, because they would not live in real peace. 

Therefore, such lives are fit at last only for the 
burning refuse heap, unless reached by the truth of 
God, and redeemed from the power of sin and death 
by His saving grace. 7 



SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 31 

" Sin is essentially a departure from God." 

Luthee. 

" Sin is first pleasing ; then it grows easy, then 
frequent, then habitual, then confirmed ; then the 
man is impenitent, then he is obstinate, then he is 
resolved never to repent, and then he is ruined." 

Leighton. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Gen. 2 : 8-9, 15-17. Prov. 3 : 13-18. Eccles. 7 : 29. Rev. 
2:7, 22 : 2. 

2 Gen. 3 : 1-7. Ps. 14 : 1-4, 36 : 1-4, 12, 49 : 6-14, 20. 
Mark 1 : 13. 1 Peter 5 : 8. 

3 Gen. 3 : 8-19, 22-24, 4:7, 6:5. Num. 32 : 23. John 
8 : 34-35. Rom. 5 : 12-21. Col. 3 : 5-8. 

4 Prov. 14 : 12, 27 : 12. Ps. 19 : 12-13, 51 : 3-4, 94 : 3-7, 
20-23. Isa. 1 : 2-15. Rom. 1 : 28-32. 

6 Ps. 139:23-24. Hosea 14:1-4. 1 Cor. 5:6-7, 15:33. 
Gal. 5 : 9, 12. 2 Tim. 2 : 16, 3 : 13-14. 

• Gen. 2 : 17. John 8 : 21, 24. Rom. 6 : 23. Gal. 6 : 7-8. 
Jas. 1 : 13-15. 

7 Zech. 3 : 1-2. Luke 11 : 17-26. 1 Cor. 6 : 9-10. Gal. 
4 : 3, 9. 2 Tim. 2 : 24-26. 



QUESTIONS. 

What is sin in its most general sense? 
Is man responsible for doing good or evil? 
What was the nature of the first sin in Eden? 
What is the real occasion and cause of sin? 
Why is sin the greatest source of human misery? 
What is said of the usual beginnings of sin? 
What three classes or degrees of sin are noted? 
What is the usual tendency of sin in each life? 
What are its final consequences, if not overcome? 
Why are those who constantly commit sin at last in- 
capable of enjoying heaven or God's presence? 



32 SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. 

PRAYER. 

O Lord, my God, show me the error of my ways, 
and keep me back from presumptuous sins. Let 
them not have dominion over me. Be merciful unto 
me, God, and preserve me from falling into the 
pit of the destroyer. May the words of my mouth 
and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in 
Thy sight, Lord, my strength and Redeemer. 
Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE SPOHR.) 

I want a principle within 

Of jealous, godly fear; 
A sensibility of sin, 

A pain to feel it near. 
I want the first approach to feel 

Of pride or fond desire; 
To catch the wandering of my will 

And quench the kindling fire. 

From Thee that I no more may part, 

No more Thy goodness grieve, 
The filial awe, the fleshly heart, 

The tender conscience, give. 
Quick as the apple of an eye. 

O God, my conscience make! 
Awake my soul when sin is nigh, 

And keep it still awake. 

Chables Wesley. 



VII. 

THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

God's general way of working among the souls of 
men and revealing to them His holy will and the 
elements of moral truth; also of preparing and in- 
clining them to a better life, and the fulfillment of 
His gracious purposes in the world, is by and 
through the Holy Spirit. 

This is a personal being, part of God Himself, 
for whose influences a receptive capacity has been 
implanted in the souls of men. By Him not only 
were the spiritual truths of the Scriptures first 
imparted to holy men of God, but a work of divine 
leading has been carried on through the ages, chiefly, 
though not always, within the Church of God. 1 

Thus we are taught that the Holy Spirit strove 
with sinful men in the days before the flood ; that 
He was upon Moses and the elders of Israel in the 
wilderness ; that He raised up various leaders for 
the deliverance of Israel from time to time ; that 
He spake by the mouth of David, the shepherd king 
and the sweet psalmist of Israel ; that He came upon 
Balaam, the son of Zippor, who prophesied the fu- 
ture prosperity of Israel; that He was in the proph- 
ets, directing their messages and foretelling things 
to come. We read also that He had much to do with 
the birth, the baptism, and the ministry of Jesus 
Christ ; that He was promised as the Comforter after 
Christ should go away; that He was poured out upon 
3 33 



34 THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

the disciples on the clay of Pentecost ; and that He 
accompanied the preaching of the apostles to give 
efficiency and power to their words among the Jews 
and Gentiles. 2 

In fact, so prominent is this feature in the New 
Testament that it is sometimes called the dispensa- 
tion of the Holy Spirit ; since He is now promised 
to all who are sincere believers in Jesus Christ and 
who are earnestly striving to do the will of God. 

Yet there are many hindrances to the work of the 
Spirit in the world at large, and sometimes in the 
Church. For instance, it is said that the presence 
of the Holy Spirit is often simulated by false proph- 
ets and by persons who have gone aside into the 
ways of corruption; but the true Spirit of God is 
known by His fruits in men's lives, and also by a 
certain consistency with his own record in the past. 3 

Again, we read that there is an antagonism of the 
flesh against His work, so that the natural and un- 
awakened soul of man does not discern nor sympa- 
thize with the mind of the Spirit. 4 Yet it is His pres- 
ence in the Church which gives true spiritual life 
and power to the body of believers as such, and 
which renders the word of preaching and testimony 
powerful in the conviction and regeneration of sin- 
ful men and women. 5 

Thus, in the Old Testament as well as the New, 
we learn that success in God's work is to be accom- 
plished " not by might nor by power ; but by My 
Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." 

It is the Spirit of God who warns us of danger, 
convicts us of sin, and invites us to be reconciled to 
God through Christ. One of the last passages in the 
New Testament says, " The Spirit and the Bride 
say, Come ; and whosoever will, let him come." 6 Yet 
the good Spirit may be grieved and vexed by our 



THE HOLY SPIRIT. 35 

hardness of heart. Yea, He may be blasphemed and 
driven away forever. 7 



" What is there in man so worthy of honor and 
reverence as this, — that he is capable of commun- 
ing with something higher than his own reason, 
more sublime than the physical universe, — that 
Spirit which alone is self-subsistent, from which all 
truth proceeds, without which is no truth ? " 

Jacobi. (Adapted.) 

" Love God and He will dwell with you. Obey 
God, and He will reveal to you the truth of His 
deepest teachings." 

Robertson. 

REFERENCES. 

i Gen. 1:2. Ps. 51:11-12, 104:30. Isa. 32:15-17, 
40 : 13. Luke 2 : 25, 26. 

2 Gen. 6 : 3. Num. 11 : 16-17, 24-30, 24 : 2. Judges 3 : 10, 
6:34, 11:29, 13:25. 1 Sam. 11:6. 16:13-14. 2 Sam. 
23 : 1-2. 2 Kings 2 : 15-16. Job 33 : 4. Isa. 42 : 5-9, 61 : 1. 
Jer. 1:2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, 2:1, 30:1-2. Ezek. 2:2, 3:^2, 
11 : 5. Matt. 1 : 18-20, 3:16, 4:1, 12 : 28. Luke 4 : 14, 18, 
11:13. John 1:32-33, 14:17, 15:26, 16:13. Acts 1:2, 
5, 8, 16, 2:4, 17-18, 38, 10:19. 38:44-47, 19:1-7, 20:23, 
28. 1 Cor. 12:8-11. Ephes. 1:13. 1 Thess. 4:8. Rev. 
1:10, 4:2, 17 : 3, 21 : 10. 

3 1 John 4:1-3. 1 Kings 22:11-25. Isa. 8:20. Mark 
8:32, 33. 2 Cor. 11:13-14. Luke 6:43, 44. Gal. 5:22. 
Ephes. 5 : 9. 

* John 3 : 6. Acts 8 : 14-24. Rom. 8 : 5-13. 1 Cor. 
2 : 12-15. Gal. 4 : 29, 5 : 16, 17. 

5 Joel 2:28, 29. John 6:63. Acts 4:31. Rom. 8:1-4, 
14-17. 2 Cor. 3 : 3, 6-8, 14-18. Gal. 4 : 6. Ephes. 1 : 13, 
2: 18, 3:5, 4 : 3, 4, 6 : 17. 18. 

6 Zech. 4 : 6. Luke 12 : 11-12. John 16 : 7-15. Acts 1 : 8. 
1 -Thess. 1:5. Heb. 4:12, 13. Rev. 2:7, 11. 17, 29, 3:6, 
13, 22, 4:5. 22 : 17. 

7 Gen. 6 : 3. Ps. 78 : 40, 41. Matt. 12 : 31-32. . Acts 7 : 51. 
1 Thess. 4 :8, 5 : 19. Ephes. 4 : 30 Heb. 3:7, 8, 6 :4-6. 
1 John 5 : 16. 



36 THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is God's general way of working among men for 
their moral enlightenment and improvement? 

What do you understand by the Holy Spirit and his work? 

Mention some scriptural instances of his work. 

What kind of dispensation is the Gospel sometimes called? 

How may the Spirit of God be known from false spirits? 

What do the Scriptures say about the Spirit and the flesh ? 

What do they say about the Spirit in the Church ? 

What is the final result of continued resistance to the 
voice of God's Spirit in our hearts? 

PRAYER. 

Grant unto me, O merciful Lord, the kindly light 
and the gracious leading of Thy Holy Spirit, day by 
day, that I may know Thy will, that I may walk in 
Thy ways, and be kept from the power of evil. So 
may my heart be purified, and my mind made clear 
and strong, to do only. those things that are well- 
pleasing in Thy sight, and to be a blessing unto 
others. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, ST. MARTIN'S.) 

Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire, 

Let us Thine influence prove, 
Source of the old prophetic fire, 

Fountain of life and love. 

Come, Holy Ghost, for moved by Thee, 

The prophets wrote and spoke, 
Unlock the truth, Thyself the key, 

Unseal the sacred book. 

Expand Thy wings, celestial Dove, 

Brood o'er our nature's night, 
On our disordered spirits move, 

And let there now be light. 

God through Himself we then shall know, 

If Thou within us shine, 
And sound, with all Thy saints below, 

The depths of love divine. 

Charles Wesley. 



VIII. 

PRAYER AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 

When people find themselves in trouble because of 
their wrong doings and sins, like Jacob fleeing from 
his brother Esau, and especially when danger threat- 
ens them, as David in exile from the Court of Saul, 
they are often impelled by the Holy Spirit to call 
upon God for help and comfort ; and this is a very 
natural and reasonable practice, for there is no other 
power so well able to relieve our real sorrows, or to 
direct us in our ignorance, or to assist us to be bet- 
ter and to make us acceptable unto God in life and 
character. 1 

By thus lifting up our thoughts, and even our 
voices, in prayer for the Divine favor, or in songs of 
praise and honor to our Heavenly Father for His 
daily mercies and benefits toward us, we are greatly 
aided in realizing the personal presence and power 
of the Lord. 2 This blessed sense of communion with 
Him also grows with practice and experience in the 
things of the soul as contrasted with those of the 
world. 3 

The Scriptures teach us that God is always ready 
and willing to hear the prayer of all who call upon 
Him in sincerity and with persevering faith, pro- 
viding their motives are pure and worthy, and also 
provided that their petitions can be granted con- 
sistently with His own wisdom and goodness. 4 

Thus we learn both from the Bible and from per- 
sonal experience that the Almighty does often grant 
37 



38 PRAYER AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 

special mercies of grace and providential kindness 
to those who call upon Him ; and this is so true 
that the history of the world itself seems marked 
by many instances of Divine control over the course 
of human interests and affairs. Yet God's chief aim 
is not to show wonders and marvels. 3 

We may know that there is a special providence 
of God in the affairs of men from the fact that He 
is not only the Creator, but also the Preserver of 
this visible world, " upholding all things by the word 
of His power," and having regard to the least as 
well as the greatest of His creatures. 6 

Yet we are not to expect that, simply because God 
is able, He would therefore do any of those things 
which would bring confusion into the natural world, 
or gratify our weakness and selfishness, or would 
destroy the wholesome discipline of our lives on 
earth by bringing full reward or punishment before 
their time. God prefers to do His favors in a more 
quiet and appropriate way. 7 

Even in the Scriptures we read only of three brief 
periods of the open and miraculous signs of God's 
wonder-working power among men, in the days of 
Moses, and of Elijah, and of His Son Jesus Christ ; 
and those signs were barely sufficient to establish 
the faith of the people in ages of great spiritual need. 

But prayer for God's secret care over our daily 
affairs, and more especially for His grace and guid- 
ance in our heart life and in our spiritual relations 
with Himself, are always encouraged in the Scrip- 
tures, and promises are made that He will in some 
way answer such petitions. Yet these must be some- 
thing more than mere formal prayers. They must 
be earnest, and from the soul of him who prays ; 
and such a one will often also need special prepara- 
tion in order to be able to claim an answer from 



PRAYER AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 39 

God, especially in the more serious and really diffi- 
cult matters of human experience, and in purely tem- 
poral matters. 8 



" Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pour- 
ing out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the 
strength and assistance of the Spirit, for such things 
as God has promised." 

John Bunyan. 

" Practice in life whatever you pray for, and God 
will give it to you more abundantly." 

Joitn Pusey. 

REFERENCES. 

i Gen. 32 : 9-12. Ex. 2 : 23-25. 1 Sam. 7 : 1-12, 23 : 7-15. 
Ps. 51 : 56, 86 : 130. Lam. 3 : 45-58. 

2 Gen. 12 : 7-8, 26 : 1-5, 28 : 10-19, 35 : 9-15. Ex. 19 : 3, 
9, 20. Ps. 23 : 27, 40 : 1-4. 

3 Gen. 18:17-33. Num. 14:11-25. Ps. 39:4-7, 61:1-4, 
63. Rom. 8 : 26-28. 

* Ex. 3 : 7, 9-10. Job 33 : 26. Ps. 32 : 6. Prov. 15 : 8, 29. 
Matt. 7 : 7-12, 21 : 22. Luke 18 : 1-7, 9-14. John 9 : 31. 
Mark 11 : 22-26. Jas. 4:3, 5 : 15-16. 1 Peter 3 : 12. Rev. 
5:8, 8:3, 4. 

6 1 Kings 8 : 22-61, 18 : 17-40. 2 Kings 19 : 14-20, 35. 
Neh. 1 : 4-11. Acts 4 : 31, 9 : 11, 10 : 30-31, 12 : 1-19, 
16 : 19-26. John 4 : 48. Luke 16 : 31. 

6 Ps. 103 : 104, 145 : 8-21. Isa. 55 : 8-13. Mai. 3 : 10-12. 
Matt. 6 : 25-33. Luke 12 : 22-30. 

7 Eccles. 3 : 1-17. Luke 13 : 1-5. John 9 : 1-3, 12 : 23-28. 
Mark 10 : 35-40. 

8 Matt. 6 : 5-15, 17 : 20-21. Luke 11 : 1-13. Mark 
11 : 23-26. 1 John 3 : 22, 5 : 14-16. 

QUESTIONS. 

What are some Scriptural instances of prayer? 
What are we helped to realize by prayer? 
What other things add to a prayerful disposition? 
What do the Scriptures teach about answers to prayer? 



40 PRAYER AND DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 

Does God interfere by His providence in our affairs? 
Why does He not seem to do this more frequently? 
What kind of prayers cannot be consistently answered? 
What kind of prayers are most encouraged? 
What is sometimes necessary in the serious and doubtful 
affairs of human life? 

PRAYER. 

Teach me, Lord, to pray. Show me my own 
need, and Thy abundant power to supply it all. Help 
me to look to Thee for daily grace and blessings 
from above. So may I come to feel Thee near, to 
rejoice in Thy mercy, and also to acknowledge Thee 
in all my ways. Thus shall I find grace in Thy sight, 
O God. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, PLEYEL'S HYMN.) 

Lobd, we come before Thee now, 
At Thy feet we humbly bow: 

O do not our suit disdain; 

Shall we seek Thee, Lord, in vain? 

Lord, on Thee our souls depend: 
In compassion now descend; 

Fill our hearts with Thy rich grace, 
Tune our lips to sing Thy praise. 

In Thine own appointed way, 

Now we seek Thee, here we stay, 

Lord, we know not how to go, 
Till a blessing Thou bestow. 

Wm. Hammond. 



IX. 



THE COVENANT WITH GOD. 

The essence of true personal religion must not 
be thought of as merely a sentiment or feeling 
toward God on our part, nor as a mere influence 
from God on our behalf ; but it comes in a more 
definite form as an agreement between God and our- 
selves leading to a life of service and blessings. It 
requires not only a disposition to pray and to seek 
the favor of God, but also a disposition of obedience 
and surrender to His Holy will. 1 

This was the reason why in ancient times, when 
Moses gave the Law to the children of Israel by the 
direction of the Holy Spirit, he called upon them to 
take the Lord for their God, excluding all other so- 
called gods, to honor and serve Him with a sincere 
heart, and to keep His laws forever ; for this was 
to be the condition of God's favor to them. 2 

It was the same way in the days of Joshua, and 
of Samuel, and of Elijah, when all those prophets 
called upon the people, then in a backslidden and 
sinful state, to forsake their evil practices and their 
idols, and to serve only the one true, living, and holy 
God. 3 

It is no less true at the present day, that if we 

would escape the bondage and guilt of a sinful life 

to become the children of God and heirs of heaven, 

we must commit our way fully unto Him alone, and 

41 



42 THE COVENANT WITH GOD. 

confess Him as our Lord before men in order that 
He may one day confess us before the angels in 
heaven.* 

Some people try to take a middle course, by doing 
as little wrong as possible and yet refusing to accept 
the duty of coming out openly for God before the 
world ; but there are no promises of God for such 
persons, because they ignore the basis of Christian 
character ; and He will not have us keep back a part 
of our heart from Him for our own pleasure and 
selfishness. 5 

Such were the conditions of God's saving grace 
in the days of Moses, when the Ark of the Covenant 
was the visible sign both of God's promises and of 
man's acceptance of them. So to-day, we are offered, 
in effect, the same conditions of salvation in the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ, of which His Cross is the 
sign and seal. 8 

The Old and New Testaments of the Bible are 
simply the old and new Covenants of God as given 
by Moses and by Christ ; the first rude and prepara- 
tory the second spiritual and complete; but fitting 
into each other as equal parts of God's wise and 
eternal plan for saving men from sin. Now, when 
God's word is offered to us in these later days, we 
have only to accept its teachings and promises, put- 
ting them into daily practice in our lives, looking 
for God to do His part by us and trusting Him for 
the salvation of our souls. 7 

In all this, we have help and assurance; for the 
Holy Spirit of truth and grace is always with the 
sincere servants of God, as the pillar of fire and 
cloud was with ancient Israel, going before them on 
the march, and resting on them at every camping- 
place, until they reached the promised land of their 
inheritance. 8 



THE COVENANT WITH GOD. 43 

" No principle is more noble, as there is none 
more holy, than that of a true obedience." 

Giles. 

" All the world over it is true that a double-minded 
man is unstable in all his ways, like a wave on the 
streamlet, tossed hither and thither with every im- 
pulse of its tide.' 1 Punshon. 

" There is no road to success but through a strong, 
clear purpose. Nothing can take its place, for pur- 
pose underlies character." 

Unknown. 

REFERENCES. 

i Gen. 17 : 1-8. Ps. 89 : 1-5, 28 : 34. Ill : 5. Isa. 54 : 8-10, 
55 : 3, 6-7. Jer. 32 : 40. Matt. 11 : 28-30. Rom. 15 : 8, 9. 
2 Cor. 1 :18-22. 

2 Ex. 24 : 3-8. Deut. 4 : 1-13, 23, 7 : 9-11, 29 : 1, 9 : 10-15, 
31 : 24-26. 

3 Josh. 1:7, 8, 24 : 25-27. 1 Sam. 7:3, 4, 12 : 14. 15. 
1 Kings 2 : 3-4. 2 Kings 23 : 3-25. Neh. 9 : 1-3, 38, 10 : 28, 
29. 

* Luke 6 : 46-49, 9 : 23-26, 12 : 8-9. John 15 : 14. Jas, 

4 : 7-10. 1 John 2 : 3-5. 

5 Matt. 6:24, 12:30. John 3:19-21. Eph. 5:1-11. 1 
Tim. 6 : 9-11. 

6 Exod. 25:8-22, 40:17-21. Josh. 3, 4:1-18, 6:6-13. 
Matt. 16:24. Luke 14:27. 1 Cor. 1:17, 18. Gal. 6:14. 
Ephes. 2 : 15-17. 

» Jer. 3 : 16, 17, 31 : 31-34. Ezek. 37 : 26, 27. 2 Cor. 

5 : 17-21. Gal. 4 : 22-24. Heb. 8 : 6-13. 

8 Exod. 40 : 34-38. Num. 9 : 15-23. 1 Kings 8 : 10-11. 
Rom. 8 : 14. 1 Cor. 10 : 1-4. Ephes. 4 : 4. 

QUESTIONS. 

What besides a sentiment or influence is religion? 
What personal disposition does this require? 
What was God's covenant with His ancient Church? 
Who renewed this covenant from time to time? 
What is also required of us at the present day? 
Why is it impossible to take a middle course? 



44 THE COVENANT WITH GOD. 

What two objections to a partial pledge to God? 
What does God's pledge demand from us and why? 
What is said of the promises in God's word? 
What are the two signs of the old and new covenant? 
What is the difference between these covenants? 
What are the witnesses to these covenants? 



PRAYER. 

O Thou Almighty One, clouds and thick darkness 
are around about Thee, and Thy glory is hidden 
from the eyes of sinful men. Yet in Thy great 
mercy, Thou hast caused us to hear Thy voice ; 
Thou hast invited us to serve Thee ; and Thou hast 
entered into covenant relations with men by sacri- 
fice and sacrament. So may we hearken unto Thee, 
and obey Thy word, that we may also receive Thy 
heavenly care and blessing. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, SILVER STREET.) 

Come ye that love the Lord, 

And let your joys be known, 
Join in a song with sweet accord, 

While ye surround His throne. 

Let those refuse to sing 

Who never knew our God, 
But servants of the heavenly King 

May speak their joys abroad. 

The men of grace have found 

Glory begun below, 
Celestial fruit on earthly ground 

From faith and hope may grow. 

Then let our songs abound 

And every tear be dry, 
We're marching thro' Immanuel's ground 

To fairer worlds on high. 

Isaac Watts. 



X. 

THE SEPARATION OF GOD'S PEOPLE. 

A singular thing in the history of ancient Israel 
was their separation from the people of Egypt, and 
their long wandering in the desert on the way to 
finally inherit the land of Canaan which was prom- 
ised by the Lord to their forefathers. This was no 
doubt ordered of God, so that after they had made a 
covenant with Him, they should not immediately be 
contaminated again by the evil example and influ- 
ence of the heathen, by hearing their wicked con- 
versation, and sharing in their idolatrous manners 
and customs of life. 1 

Moses also gave them many special laws to en- 
force the principle of purity, by habits of chastity and 
cleanliness, by the choice of their food, the materi- 
als of their garments, the care of their houses, and 
many other such marks of separation from the rest 
of the peoples around them in the world. 2 

All these rules had a spiritual meaning, and so 
long as the Israelites observed them in their lives 
and conduct, they seem to have been blessed and 
prospered; but when they departed from God's laws 
by adopting the customs of their heathen neighbors, 
they declined in prosperity, and fell under both the 
displeasure of God and the power of their enemies, 
by whom they were finally carried away, some into 
the land of Assyria, and some into Babylon. 3 

True, after great affliction and sore repentance, a 
part of them were restored to Palestine, as it was 
45 



46 THE SEPARATION OF GOD'S PEOPLE. 

called in later times, and to the observance of the 
laws and manners of their great leader, Moses; but 
now they were greatly limited in their civil liberties, 
and seem to have lost the Ark of the Covenant.* 

Under the Christian Dispensation, all these out- 
ward restrictions of manners and customs have been 
done away, and the emphasis of purity is placed 
upon the state of the person's mind and heart; yet 
the principle of some sort of separation from evil 
still remains highly necessary to a Christian life. 5 

In the early days of Christianity, we are told there 
was such a contrast between the lives of the Chris- 
tians and those of the heathen around them that the 
former were distinctly seen to be " a peculiar peo- 
ple," " in the midst of a crooked and perverse gen- 
eration," " holding forth the word of life " to the 
unconverted world. 6 

The same practices of purity in life and conver- 
sation, or carefulness in reading, in amusements, in 
occupations, and in our devotional habits, is needed 
also at the present day to mark the children of God, 
and to preserve them uncontaminated from the cor- 
ruption of the world. While we must live here and 
do our work as good citizens and members of the 
social community, we must avoid the sins of the 
world and its idolatry of worldly things, lest we go 
down at last in the same destruction that awaits all 
who live in sin and reject the grace of God in their 
hearts. 7 Therefore we must keep the laws of God. 



" A religion that never suffices to govern a man 
will never suffice to save him. That which does not 
distinguish him from a sinful world will never dis- 
tinguish him from a perishing world." 

John Howe. 



THE SEPARATION OF GOD'S PEOPLE. 47 

" The silent, serene beauty of a holy life is the 
most powerful influence in the world, next to the 
might of the Spirit of God." 

Pascal. 

" The beauty of holiness has done more and will 
do more to regenerate the world and bring in ever- 
lasting righteousness than all other agencies put 
together." 

Chalmers. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Deut. 4 : 1-40. Ps. 1 : 1-4, 26 : 9. 1 Cor. 15 : 33. Jas. 
4:4. 1 John 2:15-17. 

2 Exod. 19 : 5, 33 : 16. Lev. 20 : 22-26. Deut. 7 : 1-6. 
Neh. 13 : 1-3. 

3 1 Kings 3 : 3-15, 28, 4 : 20-25, 9 : 1-9. 2 Kings 17 : 6-23. 
2 Chron. 24 : 17-25, 36 : 11-21. 

* Ezra. 1, 2:1, 64-70, 3. Neh. 7:66-73. Zech. 7:8-14, 
8 : 1-8. Haggai 2 : 1-9. 

6 Acts 11 : 1-18, 15 : 22-29. Rom. 2 : 28-29, 12 : 1-2. 1 
Cor. 5 : 9-11. 2 Cor. 6 : 14-18. 

6 Matt. 5 : 14-16. John 12 : 35-36. Phil. 2 : 15. 1 Peter 
2 : 9-10. 1 John 2 : 15-17. 

7 Ephes. 5 : 1-16. Col. 3 : 1-8, 4 : 5-6. 1 Thess. 4 : 9-12. 
1 John. 5:21. 

QUESTIONS. 

Why did God call His ancient people out of Egypt? 
What danger comes after making a covenant? 
How did He separate them from other peoples? 
What was the result of their obedience to God? 
What was the result when they disobeyed Him? 
How did God later show His mercy to them? 
What treasures had they lost meanwhile? 
Where is the emphasis laid in the New Dispensation? 
Does the principle of separation from evil still hold? 
What was the moral state of the early Christians? 
In what ways should Christians be careful now? 
How are we to live in the world and not be of the 
world? 



48 THE SEPARATION OF GOD'S PEOPLE. 

PRAYER. 

Lord, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts. 
Therefore we beseech Thee to separate us from our 
sins, and from the workers of iniquity, that we 
may be a chosen people, zealous for righteousness 
and the glory of Thy holy name. Sacrifice and burnt 
offering Thou dost not desire, but rather the works 
of faith and obedience. So may we be Thy children, 
Lord, forevermore. Amen. 

HYMN. i TUNE. CONSECRATION.) 

Take my life and let it be 
Consecrated, Lord to Thee, 
Take my moments and my days, 
Let them flow in ceaseless praise. 
Take my hands and let them move 
At the impulse of Thy love. 
Take my feet and let them be 
Swift and beautiful for Thee. 

Take my voice and let me sing 
Always, only, for my King, 
Take my lips and let them be 
Filled with messages from Thee. 
Take my silver and my gold; 
Not a mite would I withhold. 
Take my intellect and use 
Every power as Thou shalt choose. 

Take my will and make it Thine; 
It shall be no longer mine. 
Take my heart, it is Thine own; 
It shall be Thy regal throne, 
Take my love, my Lord, I pour 
At Thy feet its treasure store, 
Take myself, and I will be 
Ever, only, all for Thee. 

Frances R. Havergal. 



XI. 

THE LAW OF REVERENCE TOWARD GOD. 

Of the ten Commandments given by Moses to the 
children of Israel, the first four relate to the duty 
of reverence toward God. A knowledge of the one 
true, everlasting, holy God is surely one of the high- 
est and most precious of our privileges, and should 
have a very great influence for good on the conduct 
of our lives. Therefore, this knowledge is not to be 
abused nor neglected by us under any circumstances; 
but we should cherish it as a sacred possession, and 
endeavor in all possible ways to grow better ac- 
quainted with God and all that pertains to His 
holy will. 1 

Certainly we should avoid everything that savors 
of disrespect toward Him, especially in the wrong 
use of His name, of His written or spoken messages 
to mankind, or of anything pertaining to His wor- 
ship or His Spirit of grace; for all these evil acts 
will bring our souls into condemnation by turning the 
light that is given us into darkness. 2 

But this feeling of reverence toward God may also 
be kept alive and quickened in our hearts by study- 
ing the Scriptures, especially those portions of them 
which reveal His great power and majesty in lofty 
descriptions and in the visions of patriarchs, proph- 
ets and apostles; or when his wisdom and tender- 
ness toward all of his creatures are shown to us by 
the writers of the Psalms, or by the prophets, or by 
Christ our Saviour in his discourses in the Gospels.* 
4 49 



50 THE LAW OP REVERENCE TOWARD GOD. 

In both these respects the character of God and 
our dependence upon him for all the mercies and 
blessings of life are further to be seen by a contem- 
plation of his works in the natural world around us, 
which contains so many evidences of his handiwork 
and of his constant presence and beneficent oper- 
ations. Sometimes, like Elijah at Mt. Horeb, we 
are much impressed by these tokens, as when we see 
a great storm of clouds and lightning and rain, or 
a mighty earthquake, or a volcanic eruption, or a 
great conflagration, or a mighty flood of waters, or 
a time of pestilence, or other natural phenomena 
which show us our littleness and weakness. 4 

Yet, we also need to learn that God is ever with us, 
in the stars and in the sunshine, in the sea and in 
the mountains, and no less in the springing of the 
grass, the opening of the buds and flowers, the songs 
of the birds, the moving of the wild creatures in the 
woods and the tame animals in the field, in the 
harvest and fruitful autumn, in the life of all the 
living. 5 

Most of all, He is revealed to the hearts of them 
that seek Him in prayer, that honor Him in their 
lives, and that endeavor to obey His will in all 
things, turning from sin and vanities of every sort 
to learn his saving truth. To such persons the 
majesty of his power, the beauty of his holiness, the 
tenderness of his love, are a real vision of the heart 
and a constant feast to the soul. 6 

God of my fathers! holy, just and good!' 
Creator! Father! and unfailing Hope! 
Jehovah! let the incense of Thy praise 
Accepted burn before Thy mercy-seat; 
And let Thy presence burn both day and night. 

Adapted from Pollock. 



THE LAW OE REVERENCE TOWARD GOD. 51 

REFERENCES. 

1 Job 11 : 7-9, 22 : 21-30. Ps. 34 : 1-10. Jer. 10 : 10-16. 
Hab. 2 : 20. Nahum 1 : 1-8. John 1 : 1-14. Heb. 1 : 1^2. 

2 Job 21 : 7, 14-21, 22 : 12-17. Ps. 10 : 4-6. Matt. 6 : 23, 
21 : 12, 13. John 3 : 19-21. Rom. 1 : 16-25, 28. 

3 Ex. 20:1-7. Ps. 11:4, 5, 19:9-11, 111:10. Isa. 
6 : 1-5, 40 : 12-31. Matt. 6 : 25-33. Luke 10 : 21, 22. 

* Ex. 19 : 16, 20 : 18. Num. 16 : 31-35. 1 Sam. 7 : 10. 

2 Sam. 22 : 8-16. 1 Kings 18 : 17-39, 19 : 11-13. Ps. 18 : 7-15. 
Heb. 12:29. 

5 Job 36 : 26-33, 37. Ps. 65, 104, 145, 147. Acts 14 : 16, 
17. 

6 Ps. 63 : 1-8, 89 : 1-18, 103, 146. Jas. 4:8. 2 Pet. 3 : 9. 



QUESTIONS. 

What is a knowledge of God as compared with a knowl- 
edge of other things? 

How should we cherish this knowledge of God? 

How should we avoid all disrespect toward God? 

What is the consequence of such disrespect? 

How may our reverence toward God be quickened and 
developed by a study of the Scriptures? 

What signs of God may we find in the world around us? 

What tokens of God commonly impress us most? 

What other tokens of Him are equally instructive? 

To what kind of persons is God most clearly revealed and 
under what conditions of life? 

What three things become to such persons a vision of the 
heart and a feast of the soul? 

MEDITATION AND PRAYER. 

The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble. He sit- 
teth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved. 
Clouds and darkness are round about him; right- 
eousness and judgment are the habitations of his 
throne. The Lord is great in Zion; He is high above 
all the people. Let them praise Thy great and ter- 
rible name, for it is Holy. Exalt ye the Lord our 
God, and worship at His footstool; for the Lord our 
God is Holy. Amen. 



52 THE LAW OF REVERENCE TOWARD GOD. 

HYMN. (TUNE, MILLENIUM.) 

The Lord Jehovah reigns, 

His throne is built on high; 
The garments He assumes 

Are light and majesty; 
His glories shine with beams so bright 

No mortal eye can bear the sight. 

The thunders of His hand 

Keep the wide world in awe; 
His wrath and justice stand 

To guard His holy law; 
And when His love resolves to bless, 

His truth confirms and seals the grace. 

And will this sovereign King 

Of glory condescend, 
And will He write His name, 

My Father and my Friend: 
I love His name, I love His word; 

Join all my powers to praise the Lord. 

Isaac Watts. 



XII. 
THE LAW OF SABBATH REST AND WORSHIP. 

The law of the Sabbath, which was also first 
given by Moses, is a consequence of the moral na- 
ture of man, because he needs time to rest from his 
daily cares, to lay aside his worldly interests, and to 
seek after the things of God for the good of his own 
soul. 1 

Our bodies find rest in leisure and sleep. They 
are also nourished by our daily food, and refreshed 
by a change of place and exercise, which are good 
for both young and old. So again, our minds are 
benefitted by rest and relaxation, by meeting with 
new things and people; and especially do they need 
ample time for learning the lessons and ways, the 
arts and duties, that are necessary for our later 
years. 

In like manner the moral nature in the immortal 
soul of man, needs time and attention for its nourish- 
ment in spiritual things, for development in the 
habits of religion and in preparation for the life to 
come. For this reason God has given to His children 
•one day in seven, called the Holy Sabbath, to be set 
apart for rest from ordinary labor, and to be used 
as a day of quietness and worship, and of learning 
•to know and to do the things which are pleasing to 
Him. 2 

When rightly used, the Sabbath is a precious day 
to all, not only because it is a day of rest for both 
53 



54 THE LAW OF SABBATH REST AND WORSHIP. 

body and mind; but because it reminds us of God 
and Heaven, of mercy and purity and all good things, 
and even of our own high estate as children of the 
Almighty; while the neglect of the Sabbath destroys 
all these ideas. 3 

In many places the observance of the Sabbath is 
now greatly neglected or actually cast aside for mere 
business, or traveling, or for various amusements; 
and this tends to the great detriment of morality 
also, because it destroys the main support of religion, 
which, is the influence of the Gospel in human 
lives. The ancient prophets declared that this was 
one principal cause of the downfall of Israel and 
Judah, that God had cast them off because they de- 
spised his covenant by profaning his Holy Sabbath 
day; and the same principles may apply to the con- 
duct of many who are called Christians at the pres- 
ent time, no matter how specious are their reasons 
and excuses. 4 

It is true, however, that Jesus Christ spoke out 
against the foolishness and insincerity of the Jewish 
Pharisees, because they prohibited even works of 
mercy and necessity on the Sabbath day and intro- 
duced many useless restrictions which were of no 
real help to religion. 5 Jesus Himself and his apos- 
tles did many good works on the Sabbath day. 6 

Moreover, it appears from his own words and from 
the writings of the apostles that He authorized them 
to change the old order and to place the Christian 
Sabbath on the first instead of the seventh day of 
the week. 7 Thus, his resurrection occurred on the 
first day of the week, and also the descent of the 
Holy Ghost on the disciples at Jerusalem; after 
which it was regularly observed by them as the day 
of religious assembly, of church collections, and of 
the worship of God. s 



THE LAW OF SABBATH REST AND WORSHIP. 55 

" He who ordained the Sabbath loves the poor." 

J. R. Lowell. 

" The longer I live, the more highly do I estimate 
the Christian Sabbath, and the more grateful do I 
feel to those who impress its importance on the 
community." 

Daniel Webster. 

"Without a Sabbath, no worship; without wor- 
ship, no religion; and without religion, no permanent 
freedom." 

Montalembert. 

" I have found by long and sound experience that 
the due observance of the Sabbath day, and of the 
duties of it, have been of singular comfort and ad- 
vantage to me. The observance of the day hath ever 
had joined to it a blessing on the rest of my time; 
and the week so begun hath been blessed and pros- 
pered to me." 

Sir Matthew Hale. 

REFERENCES. 

i Gen. 2:2, 3. Ex. 16 : 23, 29-30, 20 : 8-11, 31 : 13-17. 
Deut. 5 : 12-15. 

2 Exod. 35 : 2. Lev. 23 : 3. 1 Chron. 23 : 30-31. Ps. 92, 
title. 

3 Neh. 9:14. Isa. 56:1-7, 58:13-14. Jer. 17:21-27. 

* 2 Chron. 36 : 20, 21. Ezek. 20 : 12-16, 19-21. Neh. 
13 : 15-22. Lam. 1 : 7. 

5 Matt. 12 : 1-8. Mark 2 : 23-28. Luke 6 : 1-5. Col. 2 : 16. 

6 Matt. 12 : 10-13. Mark 1 : 21, 3 : 1-5. Luke 4 : 16, 
6 : 6-10, 13 : 10. John 5 : 9-10, 16, 9 : 14-16. Acts 13 : 14, 
42, 44, 16: 13, 17: 2, 18: 4. 

7 Luke 6 : 5, 23 : 56, 24 : 1. John 20 : 1, 19. 26. 

8 Acts 2:1. (Explain the day of the week on which 
Pentecost fell: see Lev. 23:15, 16.) Acts 20:7. 1 Cor, 
16 : 2. Rev, 1 : 10. 



56 THE LAW OF SABBATH REST AKD WORSHIP. 

QUESTIONS. 

When was the law of the Sabbath first given? 

How is the Sabbath a requirement of man's moral nature? 

How is it also a benefit to his body and mind? 

For what moral ends do we need time and attention? 

What then are the purposes of Sabbath observance? 

How may the Sabbath be to all a precious day? 

What is the present state of Sal/bath observance? 

What did the prophets say was the result of the violation 
of the Sabbath among the Jews? 

How did Christ criticize Jewish Sabbath observance? 

What use did Jesus make of the Sabbath day? 

What proofs have we that he authorized the apostles to 
place the Christian Sabbath on the first day of the week? 

PRAYER. 

Lord, I thank Thee for the Holy Sabbath day; for 
its sweet rest, its precious associations and privileges. 
I pray for grace to appreciate them fully, and to 
make a sacred and worthy use of them under all 
circumstances, that I may live aright on earth and 
be fully prepared to dwell with Christ in Heaven for- 
evermore. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, MENDEBRAS.) 

O day of rest and gladness, O day of joy and light; 
O balm of care and sadness, Most beautiful, most 

bright. 
On Thee the high and lowly, Through ages joined in 

tune, 
Sing holy, holy, holy, To the great God Triune. 

On Thee, at the creation, The light first had its birth; 
On Thee, for our salvation, Christ rose from depths of 

earth; 
On Thee, our Lord, victorious, The Spirit sent from 

heaven; 
And thus on Thee, most glorious, A triple light was 

given. 



THE LAW OF SABBATH REST AND WORSHIP. 57 

To-day, on weary nations, The heavenly manna falls; 
To holy convocations, The silver trumpet calls. 
Where gospel light is glowing, With pure and radiant 

beams, 
And living waters flowing, With soul-refreshing 

streams. 

New graces ever gaining, From this our day of rest, 
We reach the rest remaining, To spirits of the blest; 
To Holy Ghost be praises, To Father and to Son; 
The Church her voice upraises, To Thee, blest Three 
in One. 

Christopher Wordsworth. 



XIII. 

THE LAW OF THE FAMILY AND RESPECT TO 
PARENTS. 

The institution of the Home and Family is among 
the first things in all social order, civilization, and 
morality, and was so recognized by Moses and by 
Jesus Christ. While men were permitted to have 
more than one wife in the earlier ages, it was no 
longer so in later times, when people became more 
settled in their homes, and there was better protec- 
tion for the weak and defenceless. 1 

The family tie is one that unites one man and one 
woman for their natural lives, obliging them to re- 
strict their desires, and even their intimate friend- 
ships, to such as are consistent with their mutual 
relations to each other and to their own children; to 
live together and labor for the maintenance of their 
own household; and to provide for their common wel- 
fare in all things. 2 

This obligation is one that cannot be annulled by 
sickness, disappointment, or even distress; and hence 
it is a very serious burden in many cases. Yet with- 
out ' it, children would often be left in the direst 
poverty and neglect by their own parents. 3 

But this also brings an obligation on the part of 
the children to respect and obey their parents, who 
are their natural guides and protectors. Even in 
later years this obligation does not wholly cease; for 
as the child is nourished and defended by his parents 
when young, so he should care for them, if necessary, 
in old age. 4 

58 



LAW OF THE FAMILY AND RESPECT TO PARENTS. 59 

These relations are the more important and sacred 
because the family circle is the place of our earliest 
impressions, our tenderest affections and recollec- 
tions, and usually of the influences that form our 
character in life. There also we are most likely to 
act out our real character, whether for good or bad, 
happiness or misery, regardless of how we may speak 
or act in public. 6 

The home, therefore, should be carefully preserved 
from all evil and made happy by the spirit of order, 
obedience, and respect. Children must bear in mind 
that their parents are older than themselves, that 
they have more experienc, and that usually their 
counsels are intended for the good of their children. 
If some things are hard to be borne at times, it is 
better to await one's maturer years with patience 
than to bring in confusion by disobedience. 6 

This is an important part of that training which 
is necessary to fit each one of us for our own re- 
sponsibilities in later life, for our duties as members 
of society and as good citizens of the community 
where we shall reside. It is no less important in 
order to fit us for habits of love and obedience 
toward God, our Heavenly Father, and for useful- 
ness and honor in His kingdom forever. 7 

Still, if a parent should command his child to do 
an act that is expressly against the laws of truth, of 
justice, or of chastity, it is possible that the child 
may have to obey God rather than man. But this 
will not be likely ever to occur if the parents them- 
selves fear God and do the right; and especially if 
they maintain the custom of family worship, with a 
daily reading of the Scriptures and a prayer for 
God's personal guidance and blessing upon their 
home, 



60 LAW OF THE FAMILY AND RESPECT TO PARENTS. 

" Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, 
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest." 

Montgomery. 

" Our home joys are the most delightful that earth 
affords, and the joy of parents in their children is 
the most holy joy of humanity. It makes their 
hearts pure and good; it lifts men up to their Father 
in Heaven." 

Pestalozzi, 

" He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who 
finds peace in his home." 



Goethe. 



REFERENCES. 



i Gen. 2 : 23-24. Ps. 127, 128. John 2 : 1-2, 11. 1 Tim. 
3:2, 4:3, 5 : 14. Heb. 13 : 4. 

2 Gen. 24:15-67. Ps. 45:10-17. Prov. 18:22, 19:14. 
Ephes. 5 : 23-33. 1 Peter 3 : 1-7. 

s Matt. 19:3-9, 13-15. Mark 10:2-16. Luke 16:18. 
Gen. 21 : 9-21. 

4 Ex. 20 : 12. Lev. 19 : 3. Deut. 5 : 16. Matt. 15 : 3-6, 

19 : 19. Ephes. 6 : 1-4. 

5 Gen. 27:37. 2 Sam. 15:1-18. 18:31-33. Luke 15: 
11-32. 

6 Prov. 1 : 7-9, 3 : 11-12, 4 :1-13, 6 : 20-23, 17 : 25, 19 : 18-26, 

20 : 20. 

7 Col. 3 : 20-21. 1 Tim. 3 : 4-5, 12. Titus 1 : 5-6. Judges 
i 11 : 30-40. 1 Sam. 14 : 36-40. 



QUESTIONS. 

What is the place of the family in social order? 
By what two authorities is it recognized in the Bible? 
Is it permitted to have more than one wife or husband? 
What is the general obligation of husband and wife? 
How can this marriage obligation be set aside? 
How would children be affected by such action? 
What, then, is the duty of children to their parents? 
Why are these family ties so sacred and important? 



LAW OF THE FAMILY AND RESPECT TO PARENTS. 61 

How then should family life and affairs be conducted? 
What should children think of a parent's counsel? 
What should they do when duty seems very hard? 
When only may a child be possibly exempt from the duty 
of obedience to parents? 

How many such conflicts of duty be prevented? 

PRAYER. 

Help me, O Lord, to be thankful for the blessings 
and the restraining and uplifting influences of a 
Christian home. Here may I learn obedience, pa- 
tience, and holy love, in return for the loving care 
so freely given to me. May Thy divine grace rest 
daily upon us all, and guide us in the duties of 
righteousness, for thine own name's sake. Amen. 

HYMN. ( TUNE BRADBURY.) 

Saviour, like a shepherd lead us, 
Much we need Thy tender care, 

In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, 
For our use Thy folds prepare. 
Blessed Jesus, 

Thou hast bought us, Thine we are. 

We are thine; do Thou befriend us, 

Be the Guardian of our way, 
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, 

Seek us when we go astray. 
Blessed Jesus, 
Hear, hear us, when we pray. 

Early let us seek Thy favor 

Early let us do Thy will; 
Blessed Lord and only Savior, 

With Thy love our bosoms fill; 
Blessed Jesus, 
Thou hast loved us; love us still.. 

Unknown. 



XIV. 
THE LAWS OF COMMON MORALITY. 

There are certain classes of wrong-doing that 
offend against the order and welfare of society, or 
the whole body of people, wherever such wrong-doing 
takes place; and which are also forbidden in the 
Ten Commandments and in many other portions of 
the Holy Scriptures. Among these sins or crimes 
are such as murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and 
coveting or desiring to obtain another person's goods 
by any practical means, regardless of his own feel- 
ings or his interests. 1 

It is easy to see that all such evil deeds must 
bring confusion, pain, and trouble upon somebody, 
and often the consequences of such actions will come 
back upon the doer of them in shame, or in the di- 
vine judgment; which at last will overtake all trans- 
gressors, unless they do truly and earnestly repent 
of their sins, seeking the forgiveness of God. Be- 
cause life and property, honor and reputation, are 
never long safe where such things are tolerated by 
public sentiment, we may put all these commands 
together on a common basis as the Laws of common 
Morality. 2 

But each of these laws is broader in spirit than 
the mere letter of the Commandment, and includes 
the inward disposition of the heart. 3 For instance, 
the spirit of the Sixth Commandment forbids not only 
murder, but hatred, cruelty, and every unmerciful 
act toward men, or even toward the dumb animals 
62 



THE LAWS OF COMMON MORALITY. 63 

that God has made. 4 So, too, in spirit, the Command- 
ment against adultery forbids all base, impure, and 
wanton acts or words whereby our own lives or 
those of other persons would be made unclean. 5 So, 
the Commandment against stealing covers in effect 
all robbery, cheating, gambling, and other forms of 
unjust dealing whereby one obtains what is not 
rightfully his own. 6 

The Commandment against false witness is also 
directed against all forms of gossip, evil speaking, 
deceit, and hypocrisy, whereby people are disturbed 
and used unjustly. 7 The last Commandment is 
against selfishness and meanness of conduct toward 
others, especially such as is commonly practised in 
this world. 8 

The opposite of all this is expressed by our Saviour 
in the words, " Whatsoever ye would that men should 
do unto you, do ye even so unto them." This is often 
called " the Golden Rule," and it is the only real 
guarantee of public peace and private security among 
men, no matter how simple or how cultured their 
social condition, nor how prominent may be their 
personal position before the world. 



" Let us with caution indulge the supposition that 
morality can be maintained without religion. Reason 
and experience both forbid us to expect that na- 
tional morality can prevail in exclusion of religious 
principles." 

Washington. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Ex. 20 : 13-17. Deut. 5 : 17-21. Hos. 4 : 1-3. Matt. 19 : 
16-18. Rom. 1 : 28-32. 

2 Prov. 11:37. 13:15. Eccles. 9:18. Isa. 1:28-31, 59: 
1-15. Jer. 7:1-16. Micah. 2:1-3. Mai. 3: 5. Matt. 23: 
13-33. Gal. 5 : 19-21. 



64 THE LAWS OF COMMON MORALITY. 

3 Prov. 4 : 23. Matt. 12 : 33-35. Luke 6 : 43-45. Rom. 
8: 27. 

* Gen. 37:18-28, 45:3-5. 1 Sam. 24:1-7. Prov. 1: 
10-19. Matt. 5 : 7, 21-23. Luke 6 : 36. Jas. 2 : 13. 

5 Gen. 39 : 7-9. 1 Sam. 2 : 22-25, 3 : 11-14. Ps. 50 : 16-22. 
Prov. 2 : 10-22, 6 : 23-32. Hos. 5 : 3-5. Matt. 5 : 27-28. 1 
Peter 4 : 1-5. 

6 1 Kings 21 : 1-19. Ps. 10 : 8-15, 73 : 1-20. Prov. 21 : 7. 
Isa. 5 : 7-10. Micah 2 : 1-5. Matt. 23 : 14. Jas. 5 : 1-4. 

7 Gen. 37 : 31-35. Ex. 23 : 1-2. Ps. 15 : 2-3, 52 : 1-5, 101 : 
5, 7. Prov. 6 : 12-19, 19 : 5. Isa. 59 : 1-15. Matt. 12 : 36-37. 
Eph. 4 : 25. 

s Ps. 10 : 3, 119 : 36. Prov. 28 : 16. Isa. 5 : 8-10. Jer. 
6 : 13, 8 : 10. Micah 2 : 2. Hab. 2 : 9. Luke 12 : 15, 21. 1 
Tim. 6 : 7-10. 

QUESTIONS. 

What various kinds of wrong doing have we here? 

Who are injured by these moral offenses? 

What is the final result to the doer of such things? 

What interests are not safe where these are tolerated? 

How are these commands to be understood by us? 

What things are forbidden by the Sixth Commandment? 

What things are forbidden by the Seventh Commandment? 

What things are forbidden by the Eighth Commandment? 

What things are forbidden by tbe Ninth Commandment? 

What things are forbidden by tbe Tenth Commandment? 

How did our Saviour sum up our whole duty? 

Of what things is tbe Golden Rule the only guarantee? 



MEDITATION AND PRAYER. 

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who 
shall stand in His Holy place? He that hath clean 
hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his 
soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully. He shall 
receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteous- 
ness from the God of his salvation. Therefore, keep 
my heart, God, from evil, and my lips from speak- 
ing guile. So may I find favor in Thy sight. O 
Lord of Hosts. Amen. 



THE LAWS OF COMMON MORALITY. 65 

HYMN. (TUNE, SPOHR.) 

I want a principle within 

Of jealous, godly fear; 
A sensibility of sin, 

A pain to feel it near. 

I want the first approach to feel 

Of pride or fond desire; 
To catch the wandering of my will 

And quench the kindling fire. 

From Thee that I no more may part, 
No more Thy goodness grieve, 

The filial awe, the fleshly heart, 
The tender conscience, give. 

Quick as the apple of an eye 
O God, my conscience make; 

Awake my soul when sin is nigh, 
And keep it still awake. 

Chables Wesley. 

5 



XV. 
THE DUTY OF REPENTANCE FROM SIN. 

The duty of turning away from all known sin 
with sincere sorrow and true repentance is found in 
many parts of the Old Testament, but more espe- 
cially in the Psalms and Prophets, where we are also 
taught to ask forgiveness of God and power from 
Him to lead a better life thereafter. 1 

Since all men are naturally weak and fallible, 
there is none that keeps the moral laws of God to 
perfection, although in this respect there is a . great 
difference in conduct. 2 But whenever any one truly 
and earnestly asks forgiveness of God-, expecting to 
receive His gracious blessings, and to be spiritually 
saved in this life and for the world to come, he must 
and will repent of all his sins by turning away from 
them with all his heart. 3 

As previously stated, the effect of sin is always to 
destroy; first, our innocence and peace of mind; then, 
finally, our moral nature, and the very soul itself. 
But this work of sin is gradual, and may often be 
arrested before it has passed beyond recovery. Yet 
there are certain results that must follow each sinful 
act, since what is done can never be truly undone, 
nor can all of its consequences be averted. 4 

Like the flower that has been rudely torn, like the 
fresh new garment that has been soiled, or like the 
person's face or body that has been scarred by acci- 
dent or violence, so the first innocent impulses and 
affections of the soul, when once injured or corrupted 
66 



THE DUTY OF REPENTANCE PROM SIN. 67 

by sin, can hardly be restored to their earliest state. 
And while our sins may be forgiven in answer to 
prayer, yet some of the harm that we have caused 
to ourselves, or perhaps to other people, can never be 
fully recalled, although we may regret them forever, 
and try to make up for them by earnest and holy 
living. 5 

Yet there is a great difference between sins that 
are committed in ignorance or thoughtlessness and 
those that are committed knowingly and wilfully. 
The ignorant sinner may easily be instructed In the 
right way, and be convicted of his duty, and turn to 
become a different kind of person by the help of 
God. 9 

But when one knows that he is committing sin, 
and wilfully continues in his wickedness, by and by, 
his conscience becomes deadened to a sense of right, 
his heart grows cold and hard against good impres- 
sions, and the Holy Spirit is compelled to leave him 
to his sins; until at last it is very difficult, if not 
wholly impossible, for him to be brought to repent- 
ance and salvation. 7 

This is a great and important reason why every 
one should seek the Lord in his youth, before he is 
drawn into gross sin and falls away from God 
forever. 



" True repentance consists in the heart being 
broken for sin and broken from sin. Some often re- 
pent, yet never reform. They are like a man travel- 
ling on a dangerous path, who frequently starts and 
stops, but never turns back from his danger." 

Thornton. 



68 THE DUTY OP REPENTANCE FROM SIN. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Ex. 32 : 30. Ps. 32 : 1-6. 51 : 1-3, 130 : 3-4, 7-8. Isa. 1 : 
16-18, 55:6, 7. Jer. 3:12-13, 22. Matt. 3:2, 4:17, 9: 
10-13. Mark 1:4, 15. Luke 13:3-5, 15:7-10. Acts 3: 
19. 2 Peter 3 : 9. Rev. 2 : 5, 16, 22, 3 : 3, 19. 

2 Job 15 : 14-16. Prov. 20 : 9. Psa. 14 : 3, 53 : 3. Eccles. 
7:20. Rom. 3:23. 1 John 1:8. 

3 2 Chron. 15:12, 15. Jer. 29:11-13. 2 Cor. 7:9-11. 
Heb. 12 : 1. 1 John 1 : 9. 

4 Gen. 3 : 7. Num. 20 : 7-12, 27 : 12-14. 1 Sam. 15 : 
16-23. I Kings 11:9-11. 

5 Matt. 26 : 31-35, 69-75. Acts 7 : 58-60, 9 : 19-22. 1 
Cor. 15 : 9. 

6 Luke 12 : 47-48, 23 : 34. John 16 : 1-3. Acts 3 : 17. 
1 Tim. 1 : 13. 

7 Prov. 29:1. Matt. 13:11-15. Luke 11:45-52. John 
9 : 39-41, 15 : 21-24. Eccles. 12 : 1. 



QUESTIONS. 

In what spirit must men turn away from sin? 

For what may they then ask God in prayer? 

Are any exempt from the transgression of the law? 

What may one expect from God after true repentance? 

What final results follow from a sinful life? 

When and to what extent can these results be averted? 

Can the first innocence of the soul be fully restored? 

What becomes of the harm that we have committed? 

What excuse or advantage has the ignorant man here? 

What is the final result of sinning against the light? 

Why, then, should everyone seek the Lord in youth? 



MEDITATION AND PRAYER. 

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my 
God; for unto Thee will I pray. My voice shalt 
Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning 
will I direct my prayer unto Thee. For Thou art 
not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; nor 
shall evil doers dwell with Thee. Have mercy upon 
me, O God, according to Thy loving kindness; and 



THE DUTY OF REPENTANCE FROM SIN. 69 

according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, 
blot out my transgressions from Thy book, forever. 
Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, TOPLADY.) 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me 

Let me hide myself in Thee; 
Let the water and the blood 

From Thy wounded side which flowed, 
Be of sin the double cure, 

Save from wrath and make me pure. 

Could my tears forever flow, 

Could my zeal no languor know, 

These for sin could not atone; 

Thou must save and Thou alone; 

In my hand no price I bring; 
Simply to Thy cross I cling. 

While I draw this fleeting breath, 

When my eyes shall close in death, 

When I rise to worlds unknown 

And behold Thee on Thy throne, 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 

Let me hide myself in Thee. 

A. M. Toplady. 



XVI. 

THE NECESSITY OF CONFLICT WITH EVIL. 

Besides our first repentance from sin, and the daily 
renewal of our covenant with God, there is a certain 
conflict against opposing influences within ourselves 
and outside of ourselves, which every one must un- 
dertake who truly desires to continue in the favor 
of God and reach final salvation. 1 

Sometimes, when one is surrounded by heathen or 
other bad people who are bitterly opposed to the 
truth of God and the Christian life, there are so 
many and such severe difficulties to be met that 
these may occasion a real war for existence; and in 
extreme cases this seems to be justifiable. 

Such cases are seen in the situation of ancient 
Israel in the midst of powerful heathen neighbors, 
who would have utterly destroyed God's people if 
they had been permitted to do so; and again in the 
Dark Ages when the Mohammedan people tried to 
destroy the Christian nations of Europe; and again 
in the struggles for liberty and conscience in the 
era of the great Reformation in the Sixteenth Cen- 
tury. 2 Yet, generally, there is another and a better 
way, more in accord with the teachings of Jesus 
Christ; which is, to bear all things with patience 
and prayer, trusting God to make it right at last. 3 

Even where there is no open persecution of the 

good, with personal abuse and suffering, or perhaps 

with the loss of home and friends, or property, or 

position, for the sake of conscience and of doing 

70 



THE NECESSITY OF CONFLICT WITH EVIL. 71 

the will of God, there is still a great moral conflict 
going on about us which none may hope to escape 
wholly. 

The three great opposing influences that come to 
test the Christian life of every one are commonly 
called "the world," "the flesh," and "the devil;" 
and these terms are also found in the Holy Scrip- 
tures to express the enemies of the true servant 
of God. 

The " world " embraces all those influences of 
social pride, pleasure, and vanity which minister to 
our natural love of applause, of companionship, and 
of excitement, regardless of our moral surroundings 
or of the effects of the same upon our inner life. 5 

The " flesh " designates our own physical appe- 
tites, passionate impulses, or tendencies to indolence, 
and all the weaknesses that seem chiefly due to the 
inherent qualities of our physical frame, when left 
to themselves without proper control. 6 

The " devil," or " Satan," refers more especially to 
those strange and often unaccountable moods of 
selfishness, or of doubt, or of idle curiosity, or evil 
surmising, or sudden lure to sin, which so often 
overtake the unwary soul, dragging him down to 
perdition, and which are attributed in the Bible to 
the Enemy of God and man. 7 Against all these the 
good man must put on the whole armor of God, and 
watch and pray lest he fall. 



" A certain amount of opposition is a great help 
to a man. It is what he wants and must have to be 
good for anything." 

John Neal. 



72 THE NECESSITY OF CONFLICT WITH EVIL. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Ps. 3 : 1-7, 35 : 11-26, 56 : 64. Jer. 28. Dan. 6. Matt. 
10 : 16-22. Luke 22 : 46. Acts 14 : 22. 2 Tim. 3 : 11-12. 

2 Gen. 14 : 13-20. 2 Sam. 5 : 17-25, 18 : 1-8. 1 Kings 
20 : 1-21. Neh. 4 : 1-23. Acts 13 : 6-13, 16 : 35-39, 22 :24-29, 
25 : 10-12. 

3 Matt. 5 : 38-48. Luke 6 : 27-31, 23 : 34. Acts 7 : 60. 
Rom. 12 : 18-21. 1 Pet. 2 : 21-23, 3 : 9. 

4 Matt. 16 : 24-27. 2 Cor. 10 : 3-5. Ephes. 6 : 13-18. 1 
Tim. 6:12. 2 Tim. 2:3, 4:7, 8. 

5 Matt. 5 : 2-4, 6 : 24. John 15 : 18, 19, 17 : 14-16. Rom. 
12 : 2. 1 Cor. 7 : 29-31. Jas. 4:4. 1 John 2 : 15-17. 

6 Rom. 6 : 12-17, 8 : 1-17. Gal. 5 : 16-21. Ephes. 5 : 3-7. 
Col. 3:5. 1 Peter 4:1-5. 

7 Matt. 4:1-11, 13:38,39. Ephes. 6:11, 12. Jas. 4:7. 
1 Peter 5 : 8-9. 1 John 3 : 8. 



QUESTIONS. 

What comes to every servant of God after his conversion? 

Is resistance to evil and persecution ever justifiable? 

Mention some historic instances of that kind. 

What better way is usually to be preferred? 

What conflict must we meet besides open persecution? 

What are the three great influences opposed to the right? 

State some of the evil influences that come from the 
" world." 

What kind of evil influences are inherent in the " flesh ? " 

What sort of temptations are more especially attributed 
to the "devil"' or "'Satan?" 

What must a child of God do with reference to all these 
enemies of his soul? 



MEDITATION AND PRAYER. 

Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer, and attend unto 
the voice of my supplication. In the day of my 
trouble I will call upon Thee; for Thou wilt an- 
swer me. In God have I put my trust; I will not be 
afraid what man can do unto me. Thy vows are 
upon me, O God. I will render praises unto Thee, 



THE NECESSITY OF CONFLICT WITH EVIL. 73 

for Thou hast delivered my soul from death. Wilt 
Thou not preserve my feet from falling, that I may 
walk before Thee in the land of the living? Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, ST. GERTRUDE.) 

Onward, Christian soldiers, 

Marching as to war, 
With the cross of Jesus, 

Going on before. 
Christ, the royal Master 

Leads against the foe; 
Forward into battle, 

See, His banners go. 

Cho. — Onward, Christian soldiers, 
Marching as to war, 
With the cross of Jesus 
Going on before. 

Crowns and thrones may perish, 

Kingdoms rise and wane, 
But the church of Jesus 

Constant will remain; 
Gates of hell can never 

'Gainst that church prevail; 
We have Christ's own promise, 

And that cannot fail. — Cho. 

Onward, then, ye people, 

Join the happy throng, 
Blend with ours your voices 

In the triumph-song; 
Glory, laud, and honor 

Unto Christ the King; 
This through countless ages, 

Men and angels sing. — Cho. 

Sabine Baring Gould. 



XVII. 

THE PRINCIPLE OF MORAL SACRIFICE. 

In this earthly life of so many opposing elements, 
it is clear that no one, and certainly no good man, 
can enjoy all the things that come to him as ob- 
jects of desire or even of honest ambition. 

Some things must be set aside in order that 
others may be attained; and some things that are 
possibly very dear to him must be given up in order 
that others dearer still may not be lost. Physical 
ease must often be put away to make room for un- 
folding our talents, and even the beautiful things of 
life may have to be laid aside at the call of duty or 
for the good of souls. 1 
for the good of souls. 1 

To get rid of the power of sinful habits or evil 
associations is often like plucking out an eye or cut- 
ting off the right hand of the sufferer who is thus 
involved; but the Gospel declares it is far better so 
than to lose one's soul forever; and therefore, we 
must cut them off at all hazards. 2 

Again, much of the most important and precious 
work in this world must be done by good, earnest 
people who are willing to forego their own ease, 
pleasure, comforts, or opportunities in life for the 
sake of others, like the mother for her children; and 
without this, the world would not be saved at all. 
Yet it might be hard to show that self-sacrifice is 
any more the duty of those people who have lived 
such lives than of many others who are living only 
for their own pleasure and selfish ends. 8 
74 



THE PRINCIPLE OF MORAL SACRIFICE. 75 

A sense of the absolute necessity of separation 
from evil., even at the cost of suffering and death, 
seems to be expressed in the custom of offering ani- 
mals on the altar of sacrifice by the patriarchs, 
and also in the ancient church of Israel. 4 The same 
thing, with the additional idea of a propitiatory 
offering to sustain the dignity and authority of 
God's moral government over men, seems to find 
place in the offering of Jesus Christ upon the cross 
of Calvary, in the course of His labors for the 
world's redemption from the power and consequences 
of sin. 5 

At any rate, we cannot suppose for a moment that 
the Master would have suffered voluntarily such a 
death without some great and compelling motives; 
and these are just the motives ascribed to Him in 
the Gospels. We may never be able to fully fathom 
the mystery of this redemption; but it appears that 
both before and after the sufferings of Christ, the 
cause of truth and righteousness has often been sus- 
tained or advanced among men only as some were 
willing to sacrifice their ease, or even their very 
lives, for that holy cause. 6 And the need of gifts 
and offerings, nay, of real sacrifice, for the kingdom 
of God among men, has not yet ceased in the world; 
nor is it likely to cease for many years, until " the 
glory of the Lord shall fill the whole earth." 7 

REFERENCES. 

i Matt. 4 : 18-22, 6 : 19-21, 10 : 37, 38, 13 : 44-46, 19 : 27-29. 
Mark 10 : 21, 28-30. Luke 6 : 20-26, 9 ; 57-62, 10 : 38-42, 
12:16-34, 18:28-30. Phil. 3:7-8. 

2 Matt. 5 : 29, 30, 16 : 25, 26, 18 : 7-9. Mark 9 : 43-45, 47. 
Luke 9:23-26, 18:22-25. 

3 Ex. 2:11-15. Judges 6:11-35. Neh. 2:1-8. Esther 
4:10-17, 5:1-3. Acts 18:1-3, 20:33-35. Phil. 2:4-8. 
John 12 : 24-25, 



76 THE PRINCIPLE OF MORAL SACRIFICE. 

4 Gen. 8:20-21, 15:9-11. Ex. 12:3-14, 21-30, 29:38-46. 
Lev. 16. 2 Sam. 6: 17-18. 

5 Heb. 9 : 6-28. Matt. 20 : 28. John 1 : 29, 11 : 49-52. 
Acts 13:38-39. Rom. 4:24-25, 5:6-21. 1 Pet. 1:18-19, 
2:24, 3: 18. 

6 1 Kings 19 : 2-3, 10 : 14. Mark. 6 : 14-30. Acts 5 : 41, 
7:59-60, 14:19, 20. 15:25-26. 1 Cor. 4:8-15. 2 Cor. 11: 
23-28. 1 Thess. 2 : 9. Rev. 1 : 9. 

7 Matt. 27 : 57-60. Mark 15 : 40-41. Luke 8 : 3. John 12 : 
1-8,19:39. 2 Cor. 8 : 7-9, 9 : 5-8. Phil. 4 : 10-18. Ex.35: 
20-29. Ezra 1 : 2-6, 68-69, 7 : 24-30. Neh. 7 : 70-72. 



QUESTIONS. 

Can any person enjoy all good things in life? 

How then must he choose between his objects? 

To what is the removal of some evil things compared? 

How must this world be saved, if it is saved at all? 

What was the idea expressed in the ancient sacrifices? 

What other idea is also found in them, but made more 
clear by the offering of Jesus on the cross? 

Would Jesus so have suffered without good reasons? 

Is it a strange thing or a matter of common experience 
that sacrifice is essential to moral welfare? 
When will the need of gifts and offerings to God cease? 

Is a man's love to God complete without a sacrifice? 



MEDITATION AND PRAYER. 

Gather my saints together unto me; those that have 
made a covenant unto me by sacrifice. The sacri- 
fices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a 
contrite heart Thou wilt not despise. Offer unto 
God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most 
High; and call upon Him in the day of trouble. 
He will answer thee and thou shalt glorify Him. 
So may the words of my mouth and the meditation 
of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my 
strength and Redeemer. Amen. 



THE PRINCIPLE OF MORAL SACRIFICE. 77 

HYMN. (TUNE, ST. AGNES.) 

Lord, it belongs not to my care 

Whether I die or live; 
To love and serve Thee is my share, 

And this Thy grace must give. 

If life be long I will be glad 

That I may long obey; 
If short, yet why should I be sad 

To soar to endless day? 

Christ leads me through no darker rooms 
Than He went through before; 

He that into God's Kingdom comes 
Must enter by this door. 

Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet 

Thy blessed face to see; 
For if Thy work on earth be sweet, 

What will Thy glory be? 

Richard Baxter. 



XVIII. 
THE PROPHECIES AND PROPHETIC TYPES. 

The real connection between the Old Testament 
and the New is clearly seen in the numerous types 
and prophecies of the former, which have no ex- 
planation except as they look forward to a more 
spiritual dispensation and find their fulfillment in 
the person and Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus it ap- 
pears that the true religion, given from God and 
adapted to the instruction and salvation of men, is 
one in all lands and ages; but, like a tender plant 
growing from the sprouting seed into a mighty tree, 
each of whose branches was in early ages coming 
slowly into form. 1 

The types of the Old Testament are of various 
kinds; the Passover, the sacrifices, the utensils of 
the sanctuary, and the garments of the high-priest, 
as foreshadowing the mystery of the Messiah who 
should come and make an atonement for the sins 
of the world; 2 also the history of Israel coming 
out of Egypt, as a type of the spiritual history of 
the Church of Christ in bringing men from the 
house of bondage under sin into a promised land of 
liberty and abundance; 3 also many visions, historical 
incidents, and the entire lives of various historical 
personages, as Joseph, Joshua, David, Solomon, 
Daniel, Jeremiah, and others whose experience was 
repeated after a spiritual manner, in the life and 
character of Christ. 4 

The Old Testament prophecies begin with the 
promise to our first parents that " the offspring of 
the woman should bruise the serpent's head," which 
78 



THE PROPHECIES AND PROPHETIC TYPES. 79 

is seen to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the son of the 
Virgin Mary. Then we have the promise to Abraham, 
saying, " In thy seed shall all the families of the 
earth be blessed," which evidently points to a world 
Redeemer. Next, is the promise given by Moses to 
the children of Israel. " And a Prophet shall the 
Lord thy God raise up unto thee of thy brethren, 
like unto me, and unto him shall ye hearken," which 
looks toward the preaching of the Gospel by Jesus 
Christ. 

The Psalms contain various passages indicating 
that the Messiah should be born of the royal line of 
David, aDd that He should establish the kingdom of 
God among men of all nations and for all time. 
Isaiah tells us that the Messiah is to bear such 
names as " Wonderful," " Counsellor," " The mighty 
God," " The everlasting Father," " The Prince of 
Peace," and that he should inherit the throne of 
David forevermore. 5 

In Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the other 
prophets, are various other passages which foretell 
the preaching of the Messiah, his sufferings and final 
triumph over the grave, the spiritual nature of his 
kingdom, the conversion of the Gentiles, and many 
other particulars of his career; also the descent of 
the Holy Spirit upon his followers. The Jews un- 
doubtedly possessed and cherished these prophecies 
for centuries before the coming of Christ, in whom 
they were all so wonderfully fulfilled. 6 The New 
Testament also contains various prophecies which 
are now being fulfilled, and which we shall notice 
later on in these lessons. 



" Christ is the great central fact in the world's 
history. To Him everything looks forward or back- 
ward. All the lines of history converge upon Him. 



80 THE PROPHECIES AND PROPHETIC TYPES. 

All the march of providence is guided by Him. All 
the great purposes of God culminate in Him. The 
greatest and most momentous fact in the history of 
the world is the fact of His birth." 

Spukgeon. 

" All history is incomprehensible without Christ." 

Renan. 

" History is but the unrolled scroll of prophecy." 

J. A. Garfield. 
REFERENCES. 

1 1 Peter 1 : 10-12. Heb. 11 : 39-40. Matt. 5 : 17. Luke 
24 : 27, 44. Acts 3 : 18, 22-25. Rom. 3 : 31, 15 : 4, 8-9. 1 
Cor. 10: 11. 

2 John 1 : 29. 1 Cor. 5 : 7. Heb. 8 : 4-5, 9 : 1, 23, 24-28. 
10: 1-14. 1 Peter 1 : 18, 19. 

3 1 Cor. 10 : 1-4, 11. Ps. 95 : 7-11. Heb. 3 : 7-19, 4 : 1-9. 
1 Peter 2: 9-10. 

4 Ezek. 47:1-12. Dan. 2:44-45. Zech. 3:4. Mai. 3:1. 
Gen. 37 : 27-28. Deut. 31 : 23. 1 Sam. 7 : 8-11. 

5 Gen. 3 : 15, 22 : 18. Deut. 18 : 15-19. 2 Sam. 7 : 16. 
Ps. 2 : 72, 89 : 35-37, 110 : 64. Isa. 9 : 1-7. 

6 Isa. 25 : 1-10, 35, 42 : 1-7, 53, 55 : 1-5, 59 : 16-21, 61 : 1-3, 
9, 11. Jer. 23:5-6. Dan. 9:24-27. Mic. 5:2. Hag. 2: 
6-9. Zech. 9 : 9-10. 

QUESTIONS. 

How is the connection between the Old Testament and the 
New most clearly seen? 

How only can these types and prophecies be explained? 

How is the true religion one, and yet different in form? 

Mention some of the Old Testament types and their mean- 
ing. 

What was prefigured in Israel coming out of Egypt and 
into the land of Canaan? 

Mention some of the Old Testament persons who were also 
types of the Messiah or Christ, and briefly explain the 
types. 

What was the promise of a Christ to our first parents? 
To Abraham? To Moses? To David? To Isaiah? 

What additional facts concerning the Messiah are found 
in the Psalms and the various prophetical writings? 



THE PROPHECIES AND PROPHETIC TYPES. 81 

MEDITATION AND PRAYER. 

My times are in Thy hand, O God. Deliver me from 
the hand of mine enemies and from them that perse- 
cute me. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; 
save me for Thy mercies' sake. Oh how great is Thy 
goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear 
Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust 
in Thee before the sons of men. So may my soul 
hope in Thee, O Lord, and find Thy blessing at the 
latter end. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, ST. GEORGE'S.) 

Watchman, tell us of the night, 

What its signs of promise are. 
Traveler, o'er yon mountain height 

See that glory-beaming star! 
■. Watchman, does its beauteous ray 

Aught of hope or joy foretell? 
Traveler, yes! it brings the day 

Promised day of Israel. 

Watchman, tell us of the night; 

Higher yet that star ascends, 
Traveler, blessedness and light, 

Peace and truth its cause portends. 
Watchman will its beams alone 

Gild the spot that gave them birth? 
Traveler, ages are its own; 

See it bursts o'er all the earth! 

Watchman, tell us of the night, 

For the morning seems to dawn, 
TraVeler, darkness takes its flight; 

Doubt and terror are withdrawn. 
Watchman, let thy wandering cease; 
Hie thee to thy quiet home, 
Traveler, lo, the Prince of Peace. 
Lo, the Son of God has come. . 

Sir John Bowring, 



XIX. 

THE PREPARATIONS FOR MESSIAH'S COMING. 

Notwithstanding the decline of the Jewish nation 
about the time of the Captivity and afterward, yet 
the writings of the prophets in their latter days 
show a great advance in spiritual ideas over the 
earlier times of the patriarchs, and even of Moses. 1 
Less emphasis was laid on the observance of the 
ceremonial law of the priesthood and sacrifices, while 
far more stress was placed upon righteousness and 
the real state of the heart in relation to the moral 
law of God and the welfare of our fellowmen. 2 

It was also shown that the calamities of the nation 
were chiefly due to a general lapse into sin, such as 
avarice, oppression, cruelty, bloodshed, deceitfulness, 
unchastity, and idolatry, which had aroused God's 
wrath against them, because they had wholly for- 
saken his covenant. 3 

At the same time, the prophets showed the respon- 
sibility of individuals, each for himself, declaring 
that to please God something more was required 
than to be of Jewish or Israelitish blood; and that 
the good character of parents should not save their 
children, nor should children suffer on account of 
their bad parents, unless they were like them.* Thus 
the whole idea of a religious life was gradually sep- 
arated from the services of the tabernacle, or the 
temple, and framed upon a more moral and spiritual 
basis of personal loyalty to God and fidelity in the 
ways of righteousness. 6 

Moreover it was promised by the prophets that the 
82 



THE PREPARATIONS FOR MESSIAH'S COMING. 83 

new kingdom to be established in the world by the 
coming Messiah should be seen to have for its prin- 
cipal object the promotion of peace, justice, good- 
will, and happiness among men of all nations, both 
Jews and Gentiles. Thus the hearts of the people 
were kept full of hope for a better day, and their 
minds were lifted up toward a right view of the 
coming kingdom, so that they might be prepared to 
appreciate and enjoy its practical benefits, and also 
to understand its spiritual aims. 6 

It is true that many of the Jews still held to the 
hope of a Messiah who should be a great temporal 
ruler and conqueror. But this was partly compen- 
sated by the many Gentiles who had also heard of 
the Messiah, and who looked for the world to be 
blessed through Him. Whatever men might think 
of the ancient writings of the Jews, it is certainly 
wonderful how fully, and even beyond all possible 
human anticipation, this far-spread desire and hope 
was actually fulfilled in the coming of Jesus of 
Nazareth to be the spiritual Savior of mankind. 7 

REFERENCES. 

1 Compare the writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah with the 
glimpses we have of Samuel, or of Elijah and Elisha. 

2 Ps. 40 : 6-8, 50 : 7-21, 51 : 16-17. Isa. 1 : 10-20. Jer. 3 : 
16-17. 7 : 1-7. Hos. 4 : 1-9, 10 : 1-4, 12, 13 : 1, 9, 14. Joel 
2:12-19. Mic. 4:1-4, 7:18-19. 

3 Isa. 5 : 1-25. Jer. 7 : 21-34, 11 : 6-12. Ezek. 5 : 5-11, 
6 : 1-10. Dan. 9 : 4-14. Hab. 2 : 9-20. 2 Chron. 36 : 14-16. 
Neh. 1 : 6-11. 

4 Jer. 31 : 29-30. Ezek. 3 : 17-21, 18 : 1-4, 26-32, 33 : 1-20. 

5 Isa. 55 : 61. Jer. 17 : 5-10, 31 : 31-34. Ezek. 11 : 19-20, 
36 : 25-27. 

6 Isa. 11 : 1-10, 32 : 1-20, 35, 42 : 1-7. Jer. 33 : 15-16. 
Zech. 8 : 1-8. 

7 Isa. 49 : 5-10, 18-23, 60 : 1-9. Jer. 16 : 19-21. Hos. 2 : 
21-23. Zech. 2:11, 8 : 20-23. 



84 THE PREPARATIONS FOR MESSIAH *S COMING. 

QUESTIONS. 

What change is found in the writings of the later 
prophets as compared with the earlier writings of the Old 
Testament? 

What matters are emphasized less, and what more? 

To what did they say that the calamities of the Jewish 
nation were chiefly due? 

What new emphasis was placed upon the subject of per- 
sonal responsibility? 

How did their teachings change the popular idea of thp 
essentials of a religious life? 

What kind of a kingdom did the prophets say should be 
established by the coming Messiah? 

Did all of the Jews accept these spiritual ideas? 

Were any Gentiles interested in the coming of the Mes- 
siah? 

What was the basis of their hope? 



MEDITATION AND PRATER. 

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and Thy right- 
eousness unto the king's son. He shall come down 
like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that 
water the earth. For He shall deliver the needy 
when He crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no 
helper. His name shall endure forever; it shall be 
continued as long as the sun; and men shall be 
blessed in Him. All nations shall call him blessed. 
Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE. ITALIAN HYMN.) 

Thou, whose almighty word 
Chaos and darkness heard, 

And took their flight; 
Hear us, we humbly pray, 
And where the Gospel day 
Sheds not its glorious ray, 

Let there be light ! 



THE PREPARATIONS FOR MESSIAH'S COMING. 85 

Thou, who didst come to bring 
On Thy redeeming wing 

Healing and sight, 
Health to the sick in mind, 
Sight to the inly blind, 
O now, to all mankind, 

Let there be light! 

Spirit of truth and love, 
Life-giving, holy Dove, 

Speed forth Thy flight; 
Move o'er the water's face 
Bearing the lamp of grace, 
Bearing the lamp of grace, 
And in earth's darkest place 

Let there be light! 

John Marriott. 



PART SECOND. 



XX. 

JESUS CHRIST, THE SAVIOUR. 

The New Testament contains four different Gos- 
pels, or histories, of the life, character, teachings, 
crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, 
who is called the Christ; that is, the Messiah fore- 
told hy the prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures. 1 

While these four Gospels purport to be written by 
different authors from among the disciples of Christ, 
and while they vary much in the detailed incidents 
of his life and ministry, as also in the reports of his 
sayings and discourses, yet they substantially agree 
in all general matters, both as to his person and the 
nature of his doctrines, and are further confirmed by 
the other books of the New Testament. 2 The first 
three Gospels agree more closely, and are often called 
the Synoptists. The fourth Gospel was written a 
few years later. 

They tell us that Jesus was miraculously born of 
the Virgin Mary, espoused wife of Joseph, at the 
city of Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of Herod 
the Great, king of that country under the Romans, of 
which we have more particulars in secular history. 
His birth was foretold by an angel and heralded by 
angels to shepherds keeping their flocks by night in 
the fields near the city. These visited the infant 
Saviour in His manger cradle; and later, Wise Men 
came from the East and gave Him costly presents as 
a token of their faith and veneration. To escape the 
envy of Herod, He was carried by His parents into 
89 



90 JESUS CHRIST, THE SAVIOUR. 

Egypt, whence He returned in two years to Nazareth 
in Galilee. 3 

After this, little is said of His personal history, 
save a happy youth and a single visit to Jerusalem, 
until He began His public preaching of the Gospel of 
the Kingdom of Heaven, or the New Spiritual Dis- 
pensation, in the cities and villages of Galilee, where 
also He gathered about Him His first disciples. 
This beginning of His ministry, as Luke informs 
us, was during the preaching of John the Baptist in 
Judea, and in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiber- 
ius Caesar over the Roman Empire, which corre- 
sponds to the year twenty-six of our common era. 4 

There is no statement as to how long His public 
preaching continued before His crucifixion by Pilate 
at the instigation of the Jewish leaders; but tradi- 
tion, which is confirmed by several circumstances in 
connection with the date of Pilate, and by the dates 
in the Acts of the Apostles, tends to fix the length 
of His ministry at three and one-half years. 5 

Many wonderful things, such as His Baptism, His 
Temptation, His Transfiguration, and Resurrection, 
are related as having confirmed the faith of His dis- 
ciples; 6 but to us, His fulfillment of the ancient 
prophecies, His transcendent moral and spiritual doc- 
trines, and also His abiding and beneficient influence 
upon mankind, are a sufficient basis for His claims 
on our faith and reverence, while they also tend to 
confirm our confidence in the history of Christ as 
related in the Gospels. 7 



" The nature of Christ's existence is a mystery, I 
admit; but this mystery meets the wants of man. 
Reject it, and the world is an inexplicable riddle; be- 
lieve it, and the history of our race is satisfactorily 
explained." 

Napoleon. 



JESUS CHRIST, THE SAVIOUR. 91 

"As little as humanity will ever be without re- 
ligion, so little will it be without Christ." 

Strauss. 

" In His life, Christ is an example, showing us how 
to live; in His death, He is a sacrifice, satisfying for 
our sins; in His resurrection, a conqueror; in His as- 
cension, a king; in His intercession, a high priest." 

Luther. 

REFERENCES. 

1 See the titles of the four Gospels ; and also Matt. 1 : 1. 
Mark 1 : 1. Luke 1 : 1-4. John 1 : 14, 41, 45, 21 : 24-25. 

2 Acts 1 : 1-3, 21-22, 2 : 22-24, 32-36. Heb. 2 : 3-4. 1 
Peter 5:1. 2 Peter 1 : 16-18. 1 John 1 : 1-3. 

3 Matt. 1 : 18-25, 2 : 1-2, 11-14, 19-23. Luke 1 : 5, 26-37, 
2 : 1-20. 

* Luke 2:40-52. John 1 : 19-27, 35-45. Matt. 4:17-25. 
Mark 1 : 14-22. Luke 3 : 1-3, 4 : 14-15. 

6 (See Josephus : "Ant. of the Jews," B. 18.) Acts 1: 
13-15, 2 : 1, 14, 41, 4 : 5-6, 13, 27, 11 : 27-30, 12 : 20-23. 

6 Matt. 3 : 13-17, 4 : 1-11, 17 : 1-9, 28, and all the other 
Gospels. 

7 Luke 24 : 25-27, 44-48. Matt. 7 : 28-29. Mark 1 : 22. 
John 6 : 66-68, 7 : 46, 8 : 30-32. 



QUESTIONS. 

What is the main subject of the fOur Gospels? 

What is the meaning of the title "Christ"? 
How do the four Gospels differ from one another? 
How do they substantially agree among themselves? 
How are they further confirmed in a general way? 
What do they tell us of the birth and childhood of Jesus? 
What general account and incident of his youth is given? 
What was the principal theme of his public preaching? 
When and where did his public ministry begin? 
How long is his ministry thought to have continued? 
What finally brought his earthly work to an end? 
What wonderful things confirmed his disciple's faith? 
What other things in him appeal to our faith to-day? 
What is the bearing of these things on the Gospel history? 



92 JESUS CHRIST, THE SAVIOUR. 

PRAYER. 

O God, I thank Thee for the wonderful gift of Thy 
Son, who came to save a sinful world from eternal 
death. May I become blessedly acquainted with 
Him, to know the divine beauty of His words and 
works, and the power of His spiritual grace unto 
salvation, both in this world and in the world to 
come. So may He be my friend and guide forever- 
more. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, ANTIOCH.) 

Joy to the world! the Lord is come; 

Let earth receive her King! 
Let every heart prepare Him room, 

And heaven and nature sing. 

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns; 

Let men their songs employ; 
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, 

Repeat the sounding joy. 

No more let sin and sorrow grow, 

Nor thorns infest the ground; 
He comes to make His blessings flow 

Far as the curse is found. 

He rules the world with truth and grace, 

And makes the nations prove, 
The glories of His righteousness 

And wonders of His Love. 

Isaac Wattes. 



XXI. 

HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

This is the first and broadest statement of Jesus 
Christ concerning moral and spiritual principles, 
and the real nature of true religion. It is most fully 
reported by Matthew, and begins with the nine Beati- 
tudes, the most beautiful and perfect description of 
a happy and blessed character that the world has 
heard from any teacher or prophet; for they are 
like the strings of a mystic harp, all tuned in per- 
fect accord, and full of all manner of melodies and 
harmonies and hidden cadences that come to us over 
and over in life's experiences, bringing us into a 
sense of personal harmony with God. 1 

The Lord then says that His disciples are to be 
as the salt of the earth and the light of the world 
in the influence of their example and conversation 
among men. After this, He proceeds to explain the 
quality of true righteousness, which is the same 
under His Gospel as under the Law and the Proph- 
ets; but which must be realized by something more 
than a mere formal observance of the Law, such as 
was practised by the Scribes and Pharisees. 2 

It demands that the conscience shall be sensitive 
to the spirit of the law even more than to its literal 
requirements; and therefore that we must guard 
against evil thoughts and wicked desires and little 
indulgences in sin which corrupt the heart, and make 
our service to God wholly unacceptable. 3 
93 



94 HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

He warns men to be of a forgiving disposition, to 
cut loose from sin at all costs, to be pure and inno- 
cent in life, to be careful not to use profane words, 
and above all not to harbor revenge against our 
neighbors; but rather to do them good as becomes 
the children of God, who is kind, not only to the 
good, but to the unthankful and the evil. 4 

Again, He goes on to caution men against a spirit 
of vanity and hypocrisy in religion, as in almsgiving 
and in the making of prayers to be seen and heard 
of men; but He commends rather the practice of 
religion without ostentation, and gives us a model 
of petition to God which is commonly called " The 
Lord's Prayer," and which Christians are in the habit 
of using everywhere. 5 

He teaches us to call every man our brother, and 
to know God as " Our Father in Heaven," who will 
not fail to reward all those who serve Him and put 
their trust in Him. He says it is better to do good 
and thus lay up treasure in Heaven than to lay up 
treasure on earth where it is liable soon to pass 
away. He tells us not to be too anxious about the 
things of this world, but to remember that all good 
things are the gift of God, who cares for His 
children. 8 

This sermon closes with a number of practical sug- 
gestions against a hasty judgment of others, or 
making holy things cheap and common among bad 
men. We are taught to seek God diligently in 
prayer and in earnest efforts to do right. We are 
warned against false prophets in sheep's clothing 
and told to judge of men's professions by their real 
actions. Finally, Jesus tells us the story of two men 
who built their houses, the one on the sand and the 
other on a rock, and the consequences in each case. 7 



HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 95 

"As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom 
you particularly desire. I think His system of morals 
and His religion, as He left them to us, are the best 
the world ever saw or is likely to see." 

Benj. Franklin. 

" Religion finds the love of happiness and the prin- 
ciples of duty separated in us, and its mission is to 
reunite them." 

Vinet. 

" Morality looks that the skin of the apple be fair, 
but religion looketh to the very core." 

CULVERWELL. 

" Anything that makes religion a second object 
makes it no object." 

Ruskin. 

" Religion's home is in the conscience. Its watch- 
word is the word ought. Its highest joy is simply in 
doing God's Holy will." 

Cutler. 

" So comprehensive are the doctrines of the Gospel 
that they involve all moral truth known by man; so 
extensive are its precepts that they require every 
virtue and forbid every sin; nothing has been added 
either by the labors of philosophy, or the progress 
of human knowledge." 

Unknown. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Matt. 5:1-12. Luke 6:20-23. Isa. 40:1-11, 42:1-4, 
57 : 15, 61 :3. 1 Peter 1 : 6-9. 

2 Matt. 5 : 13-20. Mark 9 : 50. Luke 11 : 33-36. Jas. 2 : 
10-18. 

3 Matt. 5 : 21-37, 18 : 7-9. Mark 9 : 43, 45, 47. Rom. 7 : 
6. 2 Cor. 3 : 6. Ephes. 5 : 1-4. 1 John 3 : 6-10. 

4 Matt. 5 : 38-48. Luke 6 : 27-38. Rom. 12 : 19-21. Jas. 
3:11-13. 1 Jno. 3: 11-15. 



96 HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

5 Matt. 6 : 1-18, Luke 11 : 1-4. Rom. 12 : 12. Ephes. 5 : 
17-21. Phil. 4: 6. 

6 Matt. 6 : 19-34. Luke 12 : 22-34. Phil. 4 : 11-14. 1 Tim. 
6 : 6-10. 

7 Matt. 7. Luke 6 : 37-49, 18 : 1-14. Jas. 1 : 22-25. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is the first and broadest statement of his doctrines 
by Jesus Christ? 

Where is it found? And in how many chapters? 

What are the first few verses called? Describe them. 

What did Jesus say about enduring persecution? 

What did he remark about salt and light? 

What did he say here about the scribes and Pharisees? 

Mention some of his examples of the spirit of righteous- 
ness, as contrasted with the letter of the laws of Moses. 

How does a life of evil thoughts and indulgences affect our 
religion? 

What did Jesus say about revenge and forgiveness? 

What did he say about giving alms, praying, and fast- 
ing? 

Can you repeat the Lord's Prayer from Matthew? 

What did Jesus say about laying up treasure on earth? 

Why are we to trust God for our daily necessities? 

What is the difference between prudence and anxiety? 

What is said about hasty judgment of others? 

What about placing holy things before the reckless? 

What about the duties and privilege of prayer to God? 

What is said about the straight path? Of false prophets? 

How are the lives of men compared to trees? 

How will some people be disappointed at last? 

Give the story of the two men and their houses. 



PRAYER. 

O Lord of all light and truth, do Thou enable me to 
receive Thy wondrous words into an honest and 
obedient heart, that I may profit by them, and not 
come into condemnation by sinning against the truth 
of the blessed Gospel of Christ. So may I come into 
the way of life eternal for Kis Name's sake. Amen. 



HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 97 

HYMN. (TUNE, ROCKINGHAM.) 

How sweetly flowed the Gospel's sound 
From lips of gentleness and grace, 

While listening thousands gathered round 
And joy and gladness filled the place! 

From heaven He came; of heaven He spoke, 
To heaven He led His follower's way; 

Dark clouds of gloomy night He broke, 
Unveiling an immortal day. 

Come, wanderers, to my Father's home; 

Come, all ye weary ones, and rest. 
Yes, sacred Teacher, we will come, 

Obey Thee, love Thee, and be blest. 

Sib John Bowring. 

7 



XXII. 

HIS MIRACLES OF MERCY AND POWER. 

But Jesus did not teach by words only. He taught 
by example, and went about doing good to all sorts 
and conditions of people, especially to those who 
seemed to need Him most because of their infirmi- 
ties, whether physical or moral. 1 While engaged in 
this blessed work, He healed many who were sick, 
halt, maimed, blind, deaf, and dumb, and those who 
were possessed with evil spirits, whatever may be 
really meant by that expression, which seems to 
involve affections of the mind. 2 

His cures were performed without medicine, and 
usually by a word or a command, or in some in- 
stances, merely by a touch of His hand or garment. 3 
Most of these cures were performed in public places, 
some of them in the presence of such persons as the 
leading scribes and Pharisees, who mocked at Him 
and said that He cast out the devils in the name of 
Beelzebub, the prince of devils. But Jesus only re- 
minded them that since He was doing good and not 
evil, this was not the work of Satan. He also 
warned them against the wickedness and folly of 
rejecting these proofs that He came from God, and 
that He was thereby manifesting the goodness and 
power of God toward humanity in this world of error, 
infirmity, and sin. 4 

Sometimes he wrought these miracles in direct 
support of His divine claims, as when He said to the 
Jews before healing the man with the palsy, " That 
ye may know that the Son of man hath power on 
earth to forgive sins, I say unto thee, Arise, take up 



HIS MIRACLES OP MERCY AND POWER. 99 

thy bed and walk," and immediately the sick man 
arose and took up his mattress and went to his 
home. 

Also, when the Jews looked to see whether He 
would heal the man with the withered hand on the 
Sabbath day, He said unto them, " The Son of man 
is Lord also of the Sabbath day; " and to show it, He 
said to the man, " Stretch forth thine hand," and im- 
mediately it was made sound as the other. 5 

Among His other miracles were the feeding of 
four and five thousand people with only five and 
seven loaves; his stilling the storm on the sea of 
Galilee; His walking on the water and enabling 
Peter to do the same; the miraculous draught of 
fishes; and His raising of three persons from the 
dead, including Lazarus of Bethany, who had lain 
for four days in the tomb. 6 

In all these miracles, there is a blending of divine 
power with nature, a beautiful simplicity in the ex- 
ercise of His supernatural gifts, and a wise mani- 
festation of God's abounding mercy and power; but 
there is nothing of mere magic to gratify vain curi- 
osity. Only once did He show the destructive power 
of God, when He cursed the barren fig tree and it 
withered away. 7 

We need not speak further of the miracles of His 
birth, His baptism, and temptation, His transfig- 
uration, and resurrection, as these are a part of the 
Gospel history, to be established on the general 
grounds of competent testimony and of consistency 
with His lofty character and utterances. 



" The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth 
as the gentle dew from Heaven upon the place be- 
neath; it is twice blessed; it blesseth Him that gives 
and Him that takes; 'tis mightiest in the mightiest; 



100 HIS MIRACLES OF MERCY AND POWER. 

and becomes the throned monarch better than His 
crown. Mercy is an attribute to God Himself, and 
earthly power doth then shine likest God's, when 
mercy seasons justice." 

Shakespeare. 

" Miracles are the educating expedients of the early 
periods of the world. As such they are divinely 
wise; but after they have served their purpose as 
such, it is foolish to pretend to have them." 

H. W. Beecher. 
REFERENCES. 

1 Matt. 9 : 10-13. Luke 5 : 30-32. John 4 : 46-54. Acts 
10 : 38. 

2 Mark 1 : 23-34, 39-45, 5 : 1-20. Matt. 8 : 1-4, 28-34, 15 : 
29-31. Luke 4 : 33-36, 40-41, 5 : 12-15, 7 : 21-22, 8 : 26-36, 
9 : 37-42. 

3 Matt. 8 : 5-13, 16-17, 9 : 20-22, 27-31, 32-35, 18 : 22-25. 
Luke 7 : 1-10, 8 : 43-48. John 9 : 1-12. Mark 5 : 24-34. 6 : 
55-56, 10 : 46-52. 

4 Matt. 9 : 32-34, 12 : 22-30. Mark 3 : 22-30. Luke 11 : 
15-20. John 3 : 18-21, 9 : 13-37, 10 : 37-38. 

5 Matt. 9 : 2-8, 12 : 10-13. Mark 2 : 1-12, 28, 3 : 1-5. Luke 
5:18-26, 6:1-11, 13:11-17, 14:1-6. John 5:1-16. 

6 Matt. 8 : 23-27, 9 : 18-25, 14 : 15-21, 22-33, 15 : 32-38. 
Mark 4 : 36-41, 5 : 21-24, 35-43, 6 : 35-52. 8 : 1-9. Luke 5 : 
1-11, 7 : 11-18, 8 : 22-25, 41-42, 49-56, 9 : 10-17. John 6 : 
5-15, 11 : 1-46. 

7 Matt. 12 : 38-40, 13 : 54-58, 16 : 1-4, 26 : 51-54. Mark 
8 : 11-12. Luke 20 : 1-8, 23 : 8-9. John 1 : 14, 2 : 1-11, 5 : 
17-18, 36. 

QUESTIONS. 

What generous example did Jesus set for men ? 
What defense did he make for eating with sinners? 
What physical maladies did he heal? 
How were these cures commonly performed? 
How did the Pharisees explain his miracles? 
What was Jesus' reply to them? 

When and how did ne work miracles in support of his 
divine claims? 

Mention some of his miracles which were not cures. 



HIS MIRACLES OF MERCY AND POWER. 101 

What are the general qualities of Christ's miracles? 
Why would he not gratify the curiosity of men? 
Which was his only miracle of destroying power? 
What is here said of the greater miracles of his own 
personal history while here on the earth? 

PRAYER. 

Grant me, also, O God, to have a share in the bene- 
fits of the wonder-working power of Thy dear Son, 
that my conscience may be quickened, my sins for- 
given, and my whole nature renewed and sanctified 
by His Blessed Grace. For in this I greatly need 
His help, and the aid of a power far above my own. 
Grant these things to me for His sake. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, DENNY.) 

We may not climb the heavenly steeps 
To bring the Lord Christ down, 

In vain we search the lowest deeps 
For Him no depths can drown. 

But warm, sweet, tender, even yet 

A present help is He; 
And faith has still its Olivet, 

And love its Galilee. 

The healing of the seamless dress, 

As by our beds of pain; 
We touch Him in life's throng and press, 

And we are whole again. 

Through Him the first fond prayers are said 

That lips of childhood frame; 
The last low prayers of our dead 

Were burdened with His name. 

Lord and Master of us all, 

Whate'er our name or sign, 
We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call, 

We test our lives by Thine. 

John G. Whittieb. 

By permission of 

Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 

Owners of Copyright. 



XXIII. 

HIS PARABLES OP THE KINGDOM. 

A large part of Jesus' preaching was about the 
Kingdom of Heaven, or of God, which He was come 
to establish among men on this earth; and in order to 
explain the nature and object of this spiritual King- 
dom, He uttered many parables which are easily un- 
derstood and which linger long in the memory. 1 

Some of the earliest of these, as the parables of the 
Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price, were 
to impress the great importance of attending to the 
salvation of the soul before anything else. But the 
great parable of the Sower was put forth in order to 
show how the spread of the Kingdom is effected by 
scattering or preaching the word of divine truth 
among all kinds of men everywhere, and that they 
will receive it in different ways according to their 
dispositions. Yet, although many will make a fail- 
ure for various reasons, some will yield a bountiful 
return to God for the gifts of His truth and grace. 2 

In the parable of the Leaven, the Mustard Seed, 
and the Blade of Corn, He showed the gradual prog- 
ress of the work of grace in the hearts of men; and 
in that of the Wheat and the Tares, He sets forth the 
mixed quality of the persons composing the visible 
Church, and the reasons why it must be so until the 
Judgment, when the good shall at last be separated 
from the bad, and each shall receive according to 
his own works. Here belongs also the parable of 
the Rich man and Lazarus. 3 
102 



HIS PARABLES OP THE KINGDOM. 103 

This last point is further opened up in the beauti- 
ful parable of The Ten Virgins, and the terrible one 
of The Sheep and the Goats at the last great day. 
Many of the parables are short and almost fragmen- 
tary, as those of the two ways, the friend who goes 
to ask for bread at midnight, and the evil spirit 
who returns to his home after he had left it for a 
while. Others, as the parables of the Great Supper, 
the Marriage of the King's Son, and the Wedding 
Garment are brought forth to illustrate God's gra- 
cious invitations to men. 4 

Such also is the more elaborate story of The 
Prodigal Son, which has no parallel in literature. 
The story of the Good Samaritan is likewise as re- 
markable for its beauty as its teaching power. The 
parables of the Dishonest Steward and the Unjust 
Judge were doubtless intended to stir up the prayers 
and the earnest service of God's children. 5 

Those of the Laborers in the vineyard, and the 
Pounds and the Talents are equally for saint and 
sinner, who are all responsible to God for the use 
of their opportunities; while those of the Children 
playing in the Market-place, of the Pharisee and the 
Publican, and of the Wicked Husbandmen are 
doubtless directed against the Jews for their ob- 
stinacy in refusing to hear the Gospel. 6 

Two of the sweetest and richest of all the parables 
are those of the Good Shepherd, and the Vine and its 
Branches, both of which are designed for the inner 
circle of true believers to illustrate their spiritual 
relation to Christ. 7 



To know how to suggest is the art of teaching." 

Amiel. 



104 HIS PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM. 

" Allegories, when well chosen, are like so many 
tracks of light in a discourse, that make everything 
about them clear and beautiful." 

Addison. 
"Late, late, so late and dark the night and chill! 
Late, late, so late! but we can enter still," 

" Too late, too late! ye cannot enter now." 

" No light had we; — for that we do repent, 
And learning this, the Bridegroom will relent." 
" Too late, too late! ye cannot enter now." 

" No light! so late! and dark and chill the night, — 
O let us in that we may find the light." 
" Too late, too late! ye cannot enter now." 

" Have we not heard the Bridegroom is so sweet? 
O let us in, though late, to kiss his feet! " 
"No! no! too late! ye cannot enter now." 

Alfred Tennyson. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Matt. 4 : 17, 23, 9 : 35. Mark 1 : 14, 15. Luke 4 : 
14-21, 31-32, 43. 

2 Matt. 13 : 1-13, 18-23, 44-46. Mark 4 : 1-20. Luke 8 : 
4-15. 

3 Matt. 13 : 24-43, 47-52. Mark 4 : 26-34. Luke 13 : 
18-21. 

4 Matt. 25 : 1-13, 31-46. 22 : 1-14. Luke 11 : 5-13, 24-26, 
12:35-48, 14:15-24, 16:19-31. 

5 Luke 15:1-32, 10:25-37, 16:1-12, 18:1-8. 

6 Matt. 25:14-30, 11:16-19, 20:1-16, 21:33-46. Luke 
19 : 12-27, 7 : 31-35, 18:9-14, 20:9-20. 

* John 10 : 1-18, 15 : 1-8. 

QUESTIONS. 

What was a large part of Jesus' preaching about? 
What did he use to explain his kingdom, and why? 
What were the parables of the Treasure and the Pearl? 
Give and explain the parable of the Sower, 



HIS PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM. 105 

State the parables of the Leaven, Mustard Seed, and 
Blade of Corn. 

State the parables of the Wheat and Tares, and the Net 
full of Fish. 

Give and explain the parable of the Ten Virgins. 

State the parable of the Sheep and the Goats. 

State the parables of the Two Ways, the Barren Fig-tree, 
the Friend at Midnight, and the Evil Spirit's Return. 

What other parables illustrate God's invitation to men? 

Recite the parable of the Prodigal Son. 

Recite also the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

What are the parables of the Unjust Judge and Dishonest 
Steward? 

What is the lesson of the parables of the Pounds and the 
Talents? 

Give the parables of the Children playing in the Streets, 
the Pharisee and the Publican, and the Wicked Husband- 
men. 

What are three of the last and sweetest among all the 
parables, and what is their meaning? 

PRAYER. 

Show me, O Lord, the way of true salvation amid 
the confusion and distractions of this sinful world. 
Aid me to know the best things, those that make for 
spiritual life and blessing rather than for a little 
brief and foolish pleasure. Grant me the gift of a 
pure heart and a sound understanding, that I may- 
be rooted and grounded in the Gospel of Christ. 
Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, OLNEY.) 

"All things are ready," come; 

Come to the supper spread; 
Come, rich and poor; come, young and old, 

Come, and be richly fed. 

"All things are ready," come; 

The invitation's given, 
Through Him who now in glory sits 

At God's right hand in heaven. 



106 HIS PARABLES OF THE KDsGDOM. 

"All things are ready," come; 

The door is open wide; 
feast upon the love of God, 

For Christ, His Son, has died, 

"All things are ready," come; 

To-morrow may not be; 
O Sinner, come; the Saviour waits 

This hour to welcome thee. 

Albekt Midland. 



XXIV. 

HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH MEN. 

Much of the Master's teaching was imparted in 
conversations with one or more persons at a time, 
which gives an air of practical force and of natural- 
ness not always to be realized in His more formal dis- 
courses either to the disciples or before the general 
public. 

Indeed, His ministry seems to have begun in the 
personal interviews which He had with some of the 
followers of John the Baptist, who were also fisher- 
men of Galilee, and their friends; as it also closed 
men of Galilee, and their friends, as it also closed 
at last in a similar manner in the days that followed 
His resurrection at Jerusalem. 1 

Many of these conversations are only mentioned, 
and scarcely reported at all; as the first talks with 
His disciples, His meeting with His mother and His 
brethren at Capernaum, which must have been of 
surpassing interest, and His conference with Moses 
and Elijah in the Mount, where only the subject of 
their talk is given. 2 

In many other instances, only a few words of the . 
conversation are reported, though these are very 
important; as when He talked with John the Baptist, 
with Nathaniel, with the centurion whose servant 
was sick, with the woman of Syrophenicia, with the 
people at Nazareth, with Levi, and Zaccheus, and 
blind Bartimeus, with the rich young man, and the 
Jewish lawyer, and others not a few. 3 

Among the most important of these occasions was 
when the Master talked with the woman of Samaria 
107 



108 HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH MEN. 

at Jacob's well, disregarding the race prejudice be- 
tween Jews and Samaritans, revealing to her the 
secrets of her past life, telling her the nature of true 
worship, that it consists not in forms or in places, 
but in the knowledge of God and the sincerity of the 
worshipper. Another great conversation was that 
of the Lord with Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler, who 
visited him by night, and to whom he declared the 
doctrine of the second birth by water and the spirit, 
without which a man shall not see the Kingdom of 
Heaven; also the doctrine of the world's redemption 
in Christ, who is the true and only-begotten Son of 
God. 4 

In various conversations with His disciples, he 
not only explained His parables, but instructed them 
more fully as to the nature of the Kingdom of God, 
and also as to their work of the ministry of the 
Gospel, and how they should behave toward the 
world. 5 When the mother of James and John came 
to him asking preferment in the Kingdom for her 
two sons, He took occasion to instruct them all in 
the grace of humility. Likewise, when dining at 
the house of Simon of Bethany, and when Mary came 
in to anoint the Saviour with spikenard, He took 
occasion to tell His host of the grace of gratitude. 6 

Other important conversations were those with the 
Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees at 
Jerusalem; and with the Jewish High Priest and 
Pilate before His crucifixion; also with Thomas and 
Peter after His resurrection; and especially that 
with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. 7 



" A single conversation across the table with a 
wise man is worth a month's study of books." 

Chinese Proverb. 



HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH MEN. 109 

" Conversation derives its greatest charm, not 
from the multitude of our ideas, but from their 
application." 

Unknown. 

" As iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the 
countenance of his friend." 

Hebrew Proverb. 

" I had rather sit on one end of a log with Mark 
Hopkins on the other, and listen to his conversation, 
than enjoy the whole curriculum of some universi- 
ties." 

J as. A. Garfield. 

REFERENCES. 

i Mark 1 : 16-21. Acts 1 : 3-8. 1 John : 1-4. 

2 John 1 : 35-44. Matt. 4 : 18-22, 12 : 46-50. Luke 9 : 
30-31. 

3 John 1 : 45-51. Matt. 3 : 13-15, 15 : 21-28. Mark 2 : 
24-30, 10 : 17-22. Luke 4 : 16-32, 5 : 1-11, 7 : 1-10, 10 : 25-28, 
38-43, 19: 1-10. 

4 John 4 : 1-42, 3 : 1-21. 

6 Matt. 10 : 1-20, 16 : 5-28, 18 : 1-22, 19 : 23-30. Mark 13 : 
1-13. Luke 7 : 19-23. 

6 Mark 10:35-45, 14:3-9. Luke 7:36-50. John 12:1-9. 

7 Matt. 21 : 23-27, 22 : 15-46, 26 : 57-68. John 18 : 19-23, 
33-38, 19 : 8-12, 20 : 11-18, 24-29, 21 : 15-22. Luke 20 : 1-8, 
19-26, 27-40, 22 : 66-71, 24 : 13-53. Mark lx : 27-33, 12 : 13- 
34, 14:60-65. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is the special value of Jesus' conversations? 

What were some of his first and last conversations? 

What are some of his unreported conversations? 

Mention some of his conversations of a personal nature 
that have heen briefly reported, and give the subject that 
was discussed in each. 

Give a report of his conversation with Nicodemus, and 
the two doctrines that Jesus then enunciated. 

Give a report of his conversation with the woman of Sa- 
maria, and his doctrine of true worship. 



110 HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH MEN. 

What were some of the themes on which Jesus conversed 
privately with his disciples? 

What did he say to Zebedee's sons and their mother? 

What did he say in the home of Simon at Bethany? 

What did he say to the Herodians. the Sadducees, and the 
Pharisees? 

What did he say to the high priest at his trial? 

What did he say to Pilate before his crucifixion? 

What did he say to Mary Magdalene after his resurrec- 
tion? 

What did he say to Thomas after his resurrection? 

What did he say to Peter after his resurrection? 

PRAYER. 

Teach me Thy ways, Lord, and reveal Thyself to 
me as Thou dost to the humble and contrite in heart. 
Give me a teachable spirit, and open to me the doors 
of secret communion with Thee by meditation and 
prayer. So may I delight in Thy instructions more 
than in all the wisdom of this present world. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, WOODSTOCK.) 

Talk with us, Lord, Thyself reveal, 
While here o'er earth we rove; 

Speak to our hearts and let us feel 
The kindlings of Thy love. 

With Thee ^conversing, we forget 
All time, and toil, and care; 

Labor is rest, and pain is sweet, 
If Thou, my God, art here. 

Thou callest me to seek Thy face, — 

'Tis all I wish to seek; 
To attend the whispers of Thy grace, 

And hear Thee inly speak. 

Let this my every hour employ, 

Till I Thy glory see; 
Enter into my Master's joy, 

And find my heaven in Thee. 

Charles Wesley. 



XXV. 

HIS PROPHECIES OF THE FUTURE. 

Besides the circumstance that Jesus Christ never 
said anything which is really in conflict with the 
world's far riper general knowledge of things at this 
day, we have the important fact set forth in the 
Gospels that He possessed a knowledge of the future. 1 

Not only is this declared in the parable of the 
Rich Man and Lazarus, and elsewhere in His teach- 
ings; but he foretold to His disciples various events 
which came to pass in their own lifetime and experi- 
ence; such as that He Himself would be betrayed 
into the hands of the Jews by Judas Iscariot, one 
of the twelve apostles; that Simon Peter, another 
apostle, would deny him in that night; that the chief 
priests and elders would deliver Him into the hands 
of the Romans to be put to death; that He should 
suffer upon the cross; that on the third day He would 
rise again. 2 

He also foretold the descent of the Holy Spirit 
upon the disciples at Pentecost, and their successful 
preaching of the Gospel thereafter; the great perse- 
cutions that should come upon the early Church of 
true believers; and a time of great trouble in which 
Jerusalem should be compassed with armies and 
standards of eagles, and destroyed, so that not one 
stone of the temple should be left upon another. 
All of these things, as we are well informed by secu- 
lar history, came to pass about forty years, thereafter, 
111 



112 HIS PROPHECIES OP THE FUTURE. 

and the Jewish nation has been in exile since that 
time. 3 

Moreover, Jesus uttered other prophecies which 
are still in process of fulfillment before our eyes in 
these modern and enlightened ages of the world. 
One of these is in reference to the permanence of 
His Church, of which He said to Peter, after his 
confession concerning the Master's divine nature, 
" On this rock will I found My Church, and the gates 
of Hell shall not prevail against it." It is certainly a 
remarkable fact that the small, obscure, and perse- 
cuted band of His disciples should have been able to 
hold out, and that the Church stands to-day after so 
many trials from without and within. 4 

Another of His prophecies was that " this Gospel 
of the Kingdom shall be preached unto all nations," 
which was apparently impossible when the words 
were spoken, and has in fact been delayed for many 
centuries; but is now being wonderfully fulfilled. 5 

Finally, we have the Master's promise, " Lo, I am 
with you always, even unto the end of the world," 
by which we understand that the evidence of His 
spiritual power and blessing are to follow the preach- 
ing of His Gospel throughout all lands and ages 
until the end. 6 No other religion can boast of such 
promises as these, which are still going on to ful- 
fillment, year by year. 

Besides all these, Jesus Christ has left on record 
other promises, which are in the nature of prophe- 
cies; the promise of His own Second Coming, of a 
Day of Final Judgment, of rich rewards for the 
righteous and punishment for the wicked, and of a 
place that he has now gone to prepare for His dis- 
ciples. 7 



HIS PROPHECIES OF THE FUTURE. 113 

"Whatever is foretold by God will be done by- 
man; but nothing will be done by man because it is 
foretold by God." 

Wordsworth. 

" The golden age is not in the past, but in the 
future; not in the origin of human experience, but 
in its consummate flower; not opening in Eden, 
but coming out from Gethsemane." 

E. H. Chapin. 

" God will not permit man to have a knowledge of 
things to come; for if he had a foreknowledge of his 
prosperity, he would be careless; and if he had an 
understanding of his adversity, he would be despair- 
ing and senseless." 

St. Augustine. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Matt. 11:27, 19:27-30. Mark 6:11. Luke 6:20-26. 
John 2 : 18-21, 24-25, 6 : 61, 64, 7:6, 8 : 14, 28, 11 : 40-42, 
12 : 23-24, 13 : 1, 21 : 17-19. 

2 Matt. 26 : 21-25, 31-35. Mark 8 : 31, 9 : 31, 10 : 32-34. 
Luke 16 : 19-31, 18 : 31-34. 

3 John 14:16-17, 26, 16:7-13. Luke 24:49. Acts 1: 
4-8. Matt. 10 : 16-22, 23 : 34-39, 24 : 9-28. Mark 13 : 2, 
9-13. Luke 17:25-37, 19:41-44, 21:20-24. 

* Matt. 16 : 18, 21 : 42-44, 24 : 35. Mark 12 : 10. Luke 
20: 17-18. 

5 Matt. 24:14, 26:13, 28:18-19. Mark 13:10. Luke 
24 : 47. 

6 Matt. 28 : 20. Mark 16 : 20. Acts 2 : 21, 39 : 46-47. 
Rom. 10: 13. 

7 Matt. 24 : 30, 25 : 31-33. Mark 13 : 24-37. Luke 12 : 
31-48, 13 : 24-30. John 5 : 25-29, 10 : 27-29, 11 : 25-26, 12 : 
26, 14 : 1-3, 17 : 24. 

QUESTIONS. 

How is the divine wisdom of Jesus seen in our modern 
days? 

What were some of the things that he knew of men? 
What things did he prophecy concerning himself? 



114 HIS PROPHECIES OF THE FUTURE. 

What concerning two of his own apostles? 

Which of his promises was fulfilled at Pentecost? 

What did he foretell concerning persecution? 

What did he say about the City of Jerusalem? 

What prophecy concerning the permanence of his Church 
is still in process of fulfillment? 

What prophecy concerning the extent to which the Gospel 
would he preached is also being fulfilled? 

What other prophecy still stands in experience? 

Has any other so-called religion such prophecies? 

What further prophecies of Christ are yet before us? 

PRAYER. 

O Lord, how wonderful are Thy words, and Thy ways 
past finding out! Thou alone knowest all things 
from the beginning, and Thou hast sometimes lifted 
a little the veil which hides the future from our 
eyes, that we may be assured of Thy presence and 
power in the world. Help us to see Thy hand in the 
events of time, and to trust Thee for the fulfillment 
of Thy promises in days to come. All this we ask in 
Jesus' name. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, LIGHT OF DAWN.) 

Through the night of doubt and sorrow, 

Onward goes the pilgrim band, 
Singing songs of expectation, 

Marching to the promised land. 
Clear before us through the darkness 

Gleams and burns the guiding light; 
Brother clasps the hand of brother, 

Stepping fearless through the night. 

One the light of God's own presence, 

O'er His ransomed people shed, 
Chasing far the gloom and terror, 

Brightening all the path we tread; 
One the object of our journey, 

One the faith which never tires, 
One the earnest looking forward, 

One the hope our God inspires. 



HIS PROPHECIES OF THE FUTURE. H5 

One the strain that lips of thousands 

Lift as from the heart of one; 
One the conflict, one the peril, 

One the march in God begun; 
One the gladness of rejoicing 

One the far eternal shore, 
Where the one Almighty Father 

Reigns in love forevermore. 
R. S. Ingemann. Tr. by S. Baring-Gould. 



XXVI. 

HIS DISCOURSE AT THE SUPPER. 

In the fourth Gospel are several discourses of 
Jesus which are of a more or less mystical character; 
that is, they treat of spiritual matters which cannot 
be fully expressed to our understanding without 
using a great deal of figurative language. This is 
harder to grasp than the simpler teaching of the 
other Gospels, but not on that account untrue or at 
all misleading. 1 

Indeed, some parts of these discourses are among 
those most cherished of all by Christians, and are 
not at all difficult to be understood; as, for instance, 
the Parable of the Good Shepherd. But others, as 
the discourse on the Spiritual Resurrection, that on 
Spiritual Freedom, that on the Bread of Heaven, and 
the one on Spiritual Blindness, based upon the 
restoration of sight to the man who was born blind, 
are somewhat more difficult, although not beyond the 
reach of ordinary minds. 2 

The greatest of all these mystical discourses, how- 
ever, is that which the Lord delivered to His apos- 
tles after He had celebrated the Jewish feast of the 
Passover with them for the last time, and had in- 
stituted the Supper as a perpetual memorial of his 
sacrificial death for us. 3 

He began with a reference to His own departure 

from them, which was now very near at hand, and 

said, " Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe 

in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are 

116 



HIS DISCOURSE AT THE SUPPER. H7 

many mansions. If it were not so I would have told 
you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I 
will come again, and receive you to Myself; that 
where I am, ye may be also. And whither I go, ye 
know, and the way ye know." After these things, 
He went on to tell them, in answer to their questions 
of wonder and anxiety, of His unity with the Father 
and the manifestation of the Father through Himself 
unto the disciples. Also, that after His departure, 
He would send to them the Holy Spirit, who should 
guide them into a more perfect knowledge of the 
truth, and would bring back His words to their 
remembrance. 4 

Again, He continued and uttered the beautiful 
parable of the Vine and its Branches to illustrate 
the spiritual union of the disciples with Himself. 
He besought them to become as branches that bear 
much fruit; and said they should no longer be His 
servants, but His friends, because they were in His 
fullest confidence. 5 Finally, he told them to be faith- 
ful and of good courage, and that in a little while 
they should see Him again. 6 After this He prayed 
for them all in the most wonderful prayer that was 
ever uttered on earth, a prayer in which all who 
should believe on Him through their word were re- 
membered, and in which He clearly anticipates a 
future life that is far beyond our present compre- 
hension. 7 



" A religion without mystery must be a religion 
without God." 

Unknown. 

" In dwelling on divine mysteries, keep thy heart 
humble, thy thoughts reverent, thy soul holy." 

Jeremy Taylor. 



118 HIS DISCOURSE AT THE SUPPER. 

" As a defect of strength in us makes some weights 
to be immovable, so likewise, a defect of understand- 
ing makes some truths to be mysterious." 

Sherlock. 

"Like a morning dream, life becomes more and 
more bright, the longer we live, and the reason of 
everything appears more clear. What has puzzled 
us before seems less mysterious, and the crooked 
paths look straighter as we approach the end." 

Richter. 

REFERENCES. 

1 John 3 : 11-13, 16 : 12-14. 1 Cor. 3 : 1-2. Heb. 5 : 11-14. 

2 John 10 : 1-18, 5 : 19-29, 8 : 31-39, 6 : 27-58, 9 : 39-41, 3 : 
19-21. 12 : 35-48. 

3 John 13:1-3, 31-38, 14, 15, 16. Matt. 26:li-20. Mark 
14 : 12-17. Lev. 22:7-20. 

* John 14 : 1-4, 20-24, 15-19, 25-27. Matt. 11 : 25-30. Lev. 
10 : 17-24, 11 : 13. 

5 John 15 : 1-7, 8, 16, 13-15, 18-21. Matt. 7 : 16-20. Luke 
22 : 28-30. 

6 John 16 : 1, 16-20, 22-24, 28-33. Matt. 10 : 16-33. Luke 
12 : 32-40. 

7 John 17. Mark 1 : 35-36, 6 : 46. Luke 6 : 12, 9 : 18, 
28-29, 22 : 31-32, 39-41. 

QUESTIONS. 

Which Gospel contains the most mystical discourses? 

What is the meaning of this word " mystical ? " 

Is mystical teaching either untrue or misleading? 

Why is it used to some extent in the Scriptures? 

Is all mystical teaching hard to understand? 

Give the parable of the Good Shepherd and its meaning. 

State the main idea of the Spiritual Resurrection. 

Tell what is meant by Spiritual Freedom. 

What did Jesus mean by the Bread of Heaven? 

What did he say about Spiritual Blindness? 

Which is the greatest of Christ's mystical discourses? 

On what occasion and to whom was it uttered? 



HIS DISCOURSE AT THE SUPPER. H9 

Is it arranged in logical order? 
What is the first leading thought it contains? 
What does it say of Christ's unity with the Father? 
What does it say of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter? 
What does it say about the Vine and its Branches? 
How did the Lord then encourage his disciples? 
For whom did he pray after this discourse? 
(The class Instructor should assist in finding suitable an- 
swers.) 

PRAYER. 

Give me, Lord, a reverent and enlightened mind, 
that I may behold the beauty and glory of Thy 
Word, and that I may grow in knowledge and also in 
grace. But grant that I may walk where I cannot 
run, and that I may feel my way where I cannot see, 
until I shall know as I am known at last. Amen. 



HYMN. (TUNE, PENITENTIA.) 

Here, my Lord, I see Thee face to face; 

Here would I touch and handle things unseen; 
Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace, 

And all my weariness upon Thee lean. 

Here would I feed upon the bread of God; 

Here drink with Thee the royal wine of heaven; 
Here would I lay aside each earthly load, 

Here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven. 

Too soon we rise; the symbols disappear; 

The feast, though not the love, is passed and 
gone, 
The bread and wine remove, but Thou are here, 

Nearer than ever, still my shield and sun. 

I have no help but thine, nor do I need 

Another arm save Thine to lean upon; 

It is enough, my Lord, enough indeed; 

My strength is in Thy might, Thy power alone. 

H. Bonak. 



XXVII. 
HIS SUFFERINGS, DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 

The leaders of the Jewish people had long been 
envious of Jesus because of His popularity, His ap- 
parently lowly origin, His disregard of their own 
authority and traditions, and His plain reproofs of 
their prevailing religious shallowness and avarice. 1 

On the same night after His memorable discourse 
at the Last Supper, the officers of the Jews were 
guided by Judas to the garden of Gethsemane whither 
the Master had retired to pray with His disciples. 
There they took Him without resistance, and brought 
Him to the high priest's house in Jerusalem. 

Peter and the rest of the apostles would have de- 
fended Him by force; but He forbade them, saying 
that He could have assistance from the heavenly 
powers; but that it was the will of God that it should 
be done to Him according to all that was written in 
the prophets. 2 Afterwards, when Peter saw his Mas- 
ter in the hands of His enemies and being foully mis- 
used, his courage failed, and he denied being one of 
Jesus' disciples when accused of it by the servants. 3 

The Jewish council was called together very early 
in the morning, and went through the form of a 
trial which was only a farce. The high priest finally 
asked Jesus whether He were the Christ, and He 
frankly admitted the charge. On this charge He 
was voted guilty, and sent to Pilate, the Roman 
governor, with a declaration that He was making 
Himself a king of the Jews. 4 

Pilate did not wish to punish an innocent man, 
120 



HIS BUFFERINGS, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION. 121 

as he believed Jesus to be; but learning that He 
was from Galilee, he sent Him to Herod, king of 
Galilee, who was then in the city. Herod soon be- 
came vexed because Jesus would not talk to him, nor 
perform a miracle to gratify his vain curiosity. He 
therefore directed his soldiers to make a mock king 
of Jesus, and after shameful abuse, sent Him back 
again to Pilate. 

After this, Pilate talked further with the Master, 
and finding that His was only a spiritual kingdom of 
truth and righteousness among men, he brought Him 
forth again to the Jews and asked their permission 
to release Him. But to this they would not consent, 
preferring one Barabbas, a robber. Finally, after 
further parley, and washing his hands in token of 
laying the guilt of the matter on the fanatical Jews, 
Pilate weakly consented to the death of Jesus, who 
was immediately scourged by the soldiers and then 
led away to be crucified. 5 

Along the way, many people followed Him, lament- 
ing and weeping, and one Simon of Cyrene carried 
his cross; yet Jesus bade them not to weep for Him, 
but for themselves and their children, because of 
His rejection as the Messiah. "When they came to 
the hill of Calvary, He was crucified between two 
thieves, and His raiment divided among the soldiers. 
Meanwhile, He prayed for His enemies, comforted one 
of the thieves who asked for His Divine Mercy, and 
commended His Mother to the care of the apostle, 
John. 

All the agonies of the cross He endured with forti- 
tude, calling upon God at the last in His bitter an- 
guish, and soon afterward bowed His head in death, 
saying, " It is finished," in token that the work was 
accomplished which had been the object of His com- 
ing into this world. Then the Roman centurion who 



122 HIS SUFFERINGS, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION. 

was in charge of the execution, cried out, saying, 
"Truly, this was the Son of God! " The body of 
Jesus was then taken down by Nicodemus and 
Joseph of Arimathea, and laid in a new rock tomb 
which was closed and sealed and watched by Roman 
soldiers. 6 

But on the third day, which was the first day of 
the week, certain women from Galilee, and also the 
apostles Peter and John, coming to the tomb, found 
it empty. Angels told them that the Master had 
risen from the dead, and many of the disciples both 
saw and talked with Him again before His ascension 
at Bethany, which took place forty days thereafter. 7 



" Self-preservation is the first law of nature; self- 
sacrifice the highest rule of grace. Yet sacrifice is 
found in nature, too." 

Unknown. 

" The deep undertone of the world is sadness, a 
solemn bass, occurring at measured intervals, and 
heard through all other tones. Ultimately, all the 
strains of this world's music resolve themselves into 
that tone; and I believe that, rightly felt, the cross, 
and the cross alone, interprets all the mournful mys- 
tery of life, the sorrow of the Highest, the Lord of 
Life, the result of error and sin; but ultimately reme- 
dial, purifying, and exalting." 

P. W. Robertson. 

" The cross of Christ, on which He was extended, 
points, in the length of it, to heaven and earth, rec- 
onciling them together; and in the breadth of it, 
to former and following ages, as bringing equally, 
salvation to both." 

Unknown. 



13 : 54-57, 


15 : 1-9, 


12-14, 16: 


23. 


Mark 


11 : 18. 


Luke 19: 


22 


: 1-6. 


John 5 : 


: 10, 


17-18, 


, 30-32, 40-53, 11:47-57. 




14 


: 26-53. 


Luke 


21 : 


39-54. 



HIS SUFFERINGS, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION. 123 

REFERENCES. 

i Matt. 12 : 14-15. 22-23, 
1-12, 21:12-16, 23-27, 45-46. 
47-48, 20 : 1-8, 19-20, 45-47, 
6 : 41-42, 7 : 1. 10-15, 20, 25, 

2 Matt. 26:36-57. Mark 
John 18: 1-14. 

3 Matt. 26 : 69-75. Mark 14 : 54, 66-72. Luke 22 : 54-62. 
John 18 : 15-18, 25-27. 

* Matt. 26 : 57-68, 27 : 1-2. Mark 14 : 55-65, 15 : 1. Luke 
22:63-71, 23:1-12. John 18:19-24, 28. 

5 Matt. 27 : 11-32. Mark 15 : 2-21. Luke 23 : 13-26. John 
18 : 29-40, 19 : 1-17. 

6 Matt. 27 : 33-50. Mark 15 : 22-41. Luke 23 : 27-49. 
John 19: 17-30. 

7 Matt. 27 : 57-66, 28. Mark 15 : 39, 42-47, 16. Luke 23 : 
50-56, 24. John 19 : 31-42, 20. Acts 1 : 1-3, 9-11. 1 Cor. 
15 : 1-20. 



QUESTIONS. 

What were some of the reasons why the Jewish leaders 
opposed Christ's teaching and sought to kill him? 

When and in what manner was he taken by them? 

Why was he not defended by Peter and the other apostles? 

Whither was he taken and how was he treated there? 

What did Peter do when he saw the Master in that place? 

What did the high priest ask Jesus, and what was his 
answer? 

To whom did they send him, and with what accusation? 

To whom did Pilate send him, and with what result? 

What did Jesus say to Pilate about his kingdom? 

When Pilate sought to release him, whom did the Jews 
prefer ? 

How did Pilate finally end the matter? 

How did the people behave when they saw him led away? 

What things did Jesus do and say while upon the cross? 

Who took charge of his body, and what did they do with 
it? 

What witnesses and proof have we Of his resurrection? 



124 HIS SUFFERINGS, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION. 
PRAYER. 

In the cross of Christ, O God, may I behold the won- 
drous mystery of Thy love to sinful man; and, thus 
beholding, may I be ashamed of sin forever. Teach 
me, O God, to be crucified with my Saviour to all 
forms of sin and selfishness, and to also bear my 
cross from day to day for His blessed sake. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, RATHBURN.) 

In the cross of Christ I glory, 

Towering o'er the wrecks of time; 

All the light of sacred story, 

Gathers round its head sublime. 

"When the woes of life o'ertake me, 
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy, 

Never shall the cross forsake me; 
Lo, it glows with peace and joy. 

When the sun of life is beaming 
Light and love upon my way, 

From the cross, its radiance streaming 
Adds more luster to the day. 

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, 

By the cross are sanctified, 
Peace is there that knows no measure, 

Joys that through all time abide. 

Sir John Bowring. 



XXVIII. 
THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. 

Just before His ascension, which occurred in the 
presence of a large number of His disciples, Jesus 
left two important directions to His followers; first, 
that they should " Go and teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things 
which I have commanded you; " and second, that 
they should " tarry at Jerusalem until they should 
be endowed with power from on High," after which 
they should be witnesses to His name and His Gospel, 
" in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and 
unto the uttermost parts of the earth." x 

All this was fulfilled when the disciples, to the 
number of one hundred and twenty, had spent ten 
days after the ascension of their Master in waiting 
upon God in prayer in an upper room in Jerusalem. 
At the end of that time the Holy Spirit was sent 
upon them from heaven with remarkable manifesta- 
tions of the presence and power of God. All the 
disciples are said to have spoken in strange tongues, 
and the apostles immediately began to preach to the 
people in the city, declaring with great boldness and 
convincing arguments that Jesus, who had lately 
been crucified, was risen from the dead, and that He 
was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. 2 

Thousands of people were soon converted to the 
new faith and baptized into the Church, where they 
were as brothers and sisters in Christ, uniting in 
125 



126 THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. 

their prayers and testimonies, celebrating again the 
Last Supper as had been commanded by the Lord, 
and sharing each other's goods and property in com- 
mon. 3 They also appointed deacons who should at- 
tend to the temporal interests of the congregation, 
and later some of these also became preachers of 
the Gospel. Meanwhile special provision was made 
for the widows and orphans and other dependent 
persons who were members of the congregation of 
believers in Christ, so that they should not depend 
on the outside world.* 

After matters had continued in this way for some 
time, and various persecutions had occurred, a 
fierce attack was made by the Jews upon the Church, 
in which Stephen, a deacon, was stoned and died a 
glorious death. This caused the members of the 
Church at Jerusalem to be scattered abroad in Judea, 
Samaria, Galilee, and even as far as Antioch, carry- 
ing the Gospel and gathering new converts where- 
ever they went. One of these new converts was Saul 
of Tarsus, a young student of the Jewish rabbis, 
who had been present at the death of Stephen. 5 

At first only Jews were admitted to the Church; 
but when Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and his 
family, were converted under the preaching of Peter 
at Caesarea, there was a council of the apostles over 
the matter, and Gentiles were admitted thereafter. 6 
Barnabas, and Saul, whose name was changed to 
Paul, were sent out from Antioch, where the disci- 
ples were first called Christians, to preach to the 
people of Asia Minor, and to ordain elders for the 
churches which they had founded in every city. 
Thus the Gospel was soon spread throughout the 
Roman Empire, which then embraced most of the 
civilized world. 7 



THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. 127 

" Christianity is not a theory nor a speculation, 
but a life of fellowship with God." 

Coleridge. (Adapted.) 

" It matters little whether or not Christianity 
makes men richer. But it does make them truer, 
purer, and nobler." 

Beckwith. 

" Christianity everywhere gives dignity to labor, 
sanctity to marriage, and brotherhood to man. It 
is profitable alike for this world and the world to 
come." 

Lord Lawrence. 

" Christianity is a missionary religion, converting, 
advancing, aggressive, encompassing the world. A 
non-missionary church is in the hands of death." 

Max Muller. 

" Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always 
as pure as they came from his lips, the whole civi- 
lized world would now have been Christians." 

Thos. Jefferson. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Matt. 28 : 19-20. Mark 16 : 15-16, 19, 20. Luke 24 : 45- 
49. John 15 : 27, 20 : 30-31. Acts 1 : 4-8. 

2 Acts 1 : 12-14, 2 : 1-36. 3 : 12-26. 4 : 5-13. 

3 Acts 2 : 37-47, 4 : 4, 31-37, 5 : 12-16. 24-42. 

4 Acts 6 : 1-8, 8 : 5, 26 : 21, 8. 1 Tim. 5 : 4-10. 

5 Acts 6 : 9-15, 7 : 54-60, 8 : 1-4, 5-6, 14-17, 25 : 26-27, 
9: 1-31. 

6 Acts 11 : 19-21, 10 : 19-34, 44-48, 11 : 1-18, 15 : 1-33. 

T Acts 11 : 22-30, 12 : 24-25, 13, 14 : 23, 15 : 35-41, 16, etc. 

QUESTIONS. 

What were Jesus' last two commands to his disciples? 
What was the number of the first disciples in Jerusalem? 
Where were they to witness to the Gospel of Christ? 
Where and how did they spend the first ten days? 



128 THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. 

What came upon them at the end of that period? 

What were some manifestations of supernatural power? 

What was the suhstance of the apostles' first preaching? 

What was the first believers' manner of living and wor- 
ship? 

For what purpose were deacons appointed? 

Who was the first Christian martyr and who was present? 

What was the effect of this first bloody persecution? 

Under what circumstances was Saul of Tarsus converted? 

What proselyte was converted under Philip's preaching? 

What Gentiles were converted under Peter at Caesarea? 

What decision did the apostles make in this matter? 

What three things occurred at Antioch? (Acts 11 : 20, 21, 
26, 13: 1-3.) 

What countries were evangelized by Paul and Barnabas? 

What country later, by Paul, with other fellow laborers? 



PRAYER. 

" Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy 
name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on 
earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive 
those who trespass against us. And lead us not into 
temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is 
the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever 
and ever." Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, AURELIA.) 

The Church's one foundation 

Is Jesus Christ her Lord; 
She is His new creation, 

By water and the word. 
From heaven He came and sought her 

To be His holy Bride; 
With His own blood He bought her, 

And for her Life He died. 

Elect from every nation, 

Yet one o'er all the earth, 
Her charter of salvation, 

One Lord, one faith, one birth. 



THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH. 129 

One holy name she blesses, 

Partakes one holy food, 
And to one hope she presses, 

With every grace endued. 

'Mid toil and tribulation, 

And tumult of her war, 
She waits the consummation 

Of peace for evermore. 
Till with the vision glorious 

Her longing eyes are blest, 
And the great Church victorious 

Shall be the Church at rest. 

Samuel J. Stone. 

9 



XXIX. 

THE GOSPEL METHOD OF SAVING MEN. 

The new plan of salvation as preached by the apos- 
tles and their successors was something like this: 
First, they followed the example of Christ, the Mas- 
ter, in so presenting the truth, the beauty, and the 
blessedness of a perfectly sincere and holy life, that 
men were charmed by its view and led to compare 
their own lives with the pattern set before them in 
the Gospel. 1 

Second, the personal application of spiritual truth 
as found in the parables and conversations of Jesus 
was now pressed home to men in a way to reveal 
their hidden motives and secret affections, thereby 
searching the soul as with a lighted candle, and 
showing to each his own sinful condition, in order to 
lead him to repentance. 2 

Third, the story of the Saviour's life, His teachings 
and miracles, and of His sufferings on the Cross and 
His glorious resurrection, was repeated to men in 
such a manner as to touch the heart and the con- 
science. The purpose of His death was also explained 
as an atonement for human sins and a means of 
reconciliation between God and man, so as to lead 
each one to an earnest effort to amend his life with 
the aid of the Holy Spirit which is freely promised 
in the Gospel. 3 

Sometimes the particulars of this preaching took 
one form, and sometimes another, according to cir- 
cumstances. Frequently, the process of instruction 
and persuasion was a short one; but it was always 
130 



THE GOSPEL METHOD OF SAVING MEN. 131 

intended to lead up to the vision or knowledge of 
Christ Himself as the one Master and Friend, the 
everliving and all-sufficient Saviour of those who 
to the Father by Him. No one was so high or so 
lowly, so good or so evil, that he might not receive 
this Gospel of Salvation through Christ, regardless 
of race, language, or condition in life. 4 

Moreover, all who accepted the Gospel by prayer 
and faith, however long or short their spiritual con- 
flicts, were brought into the Christian life and made 
members of the spiritual kingdom of God in Christ. 
Here we see a new principle of religion, that of a 
Mediator, or a personal Redeemer, which was a 
powerful factor in arousing and developing the 
minds and spiritual consciousness of men, and be- 
came, in fact, a new force for the conversion of the 
world to God. 5 

At the same time, this did not set aside the Old 
Testament doctrines of worship and morality, nor 
of God's own eternal truth and righteousness; but it 
rather confirmed and fulfilled them. 6 Besides all 
this, the preaching of the Gospel had the advantage 
in its appeal to men of being founded on a series of 
wonderful events and practical doctrines, all spring- 
ing from the person and instruction of Jesus Christ. 
Thus men saw a definite source of authority for the 
promises, and also rested their faith in the tangible 
facts of history. 7 

To be sure, not all could have an opportunity to 
hear the Gospel, or capacity to understand and ac- 
cept it when heard; but even such persons are not 
wholly left without some provisions of grace; for 
there are the " uncovenanted mercies," or general 
blessings of temporal good and moral intelligence 
which God bestows in some degree on all men, 
whereby they may seek Him in prayer and be saved. 8 



132 THE GOSPEL METHOD OF SAYING MEN. 

There are also the " unconditioned benefits " of 
Christ's atoning sacrifice, by which all young chil- 
dren and unenlightened persons become the objects 
of divine mercy, and are held to a lesser responsi- 
bility than those who are older and better instructed. 9 

Finally, we have the blessed way of positive grace 
and salvation by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 
which is the only direct and sure method of ap- 
proach to God for all who are in any wise able to 
receive and appropriate its holy privileges. 10 



" The preaching of the Gospel is the form in which 
human agency has been and still is most efficaciously 
employed for the spiritual improvement of men." 

Webster. 

" I preached as never sure to preach again, 
And as a dying man to dying men." 

Baxter. 

" My grand point in preaching is to break the hard 
heart, and to heal the broken one." 

John Newton. 

" The only way to realize that we are God's chil- 
dren is to let Christ lead us to our Father." 

Phillips Brooks. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Matt. 7 : 28-29. Mark 1 : 21-22. Luke 4 : 31-32. John 
7:46. 

2 Matt. 13 : 18-23. 36-43, 52, 15 : 15-20, 20 : 25-28. Mark 
10 : 14-31, 12 : 28-34, 37. Luke 5 : 8-11, 7 : 40-50. John 
3 : 14-21, 4 : 17-19, 28-29. 

3 Acts 2 : 22-24, 32-33. 36-39, 3 : 12-21, 4 : 8-13. 13 : 23-41, 
18 : 28. Rom. 1 : 4, 16-17, 3 : 20-26, 5 : 1-11, 8 : 1-17, 
10 : 4-10. 



THE GOSPEL METHOD OF SAVING MEN. 133 

* Acts 8 : 26-39, 9 : 17-22, 10 : 34-48, 16 : 25-34. Rom. 
10 : 12-13. Gal. 3 : 28. 

5 2 Cor. 1 : 19-20, 4 : 5-6. Gal. 4 : 4-7. Ephes. 1:3, 7, 10, 
12. 1 Tim. 2 : 5-6. 

6 Rom. 3:31, 6 :15-18, 10 : 1-13. 2 Cor. 3 : 12-16. Heb. 
1 : 1-4, 9 : 8-15, 23. 

7 Matt. 28 : 16-20. Mark 16 : 9-14, 19-20. Luke 24 : 45--18. 
John 20 : 30-31. 

8 Matt. 5 : 45. Acts 10 : 34-35, 14 : 16-17. Rom. 3 : 13-15, 
10 : 13-18. 1 Peter 3 : 10-12. 

9 Matt. 19 : 13-15. Luke 12 : 47-48, 18 : 15-17. John 
9: 40-41. Acts 17:30. 

io Mark 2 : 10-12. Luke 10 : 16-22. John 3 : 14-21, 5 : 20- 
24. Heb. 10 : 19-22. 

QUESTIONS. 

Whose example did the apostles follow in preaching the 
Gospel, and how did they do this? 

What truths were thus pressed home to men's consciences 
and with what results? 

What was the last and -most touching element in their 
message, and how was the death of Christ presented? 

Were all sermons and conversions alike as to manner ; and 
if not, how were they different? 

What was the new principle of the Gospel in saving men? 

How was this related of the Old Testament doctrines? 

What was the basis of facts and authority for the Gospel? 

What is meant by the "uncovenanted mercies' of God? 

What are the "unconditional benefits" of Christ's death? 

What is the only direct and sure way of salvation, and to 
whom is it especially given? 



PRAYER. 

O God, I thank Thee for the blessings of Gospel 
light and Christian privileges. Help me at all times 
to appreciate their inestimable value, and to profit 
by them .to the salvation of my soul through Jesus 
Christ, Thy Son. Grant me also a love for the per- 
ishing souls of men, and a zeal for the glory of Thy 
kingdom in the earth, that I may finally share it in 
heaven, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 



134 THE GOSPEL METHOD OF SAVING MEN. 

HYMN. (TUNE, ROCKINGHAM.) 

Of Him who did salvation bring 
I could forever think and sing; 

Arise, ye needy, he'll relieve; 

Arise ye guilty, he'll forgive. 

Ask but His grace, and lo, 'tis given! 

Ask, and He turns your hell to heaven; 
Though sin and sorrow wound my soul, 

Jesus, Thy balm will make it whole. 

To shame our sins He blushed in blood; 
He closed His eyes to show us God; 
Let all the world fall down and know, 

That none but God such love can show. 

Bernard of Clairvaux. 
Tr. by A. W. Boehm. 









XXX. 

THE CALL OF GOD TO THE SINNER. 

If the true religion were only a set of principles 
and of rules of conduct, or if the Gospel plan of salva- 
tion were merely a series of precepts and promises 
leading to certain kinds of emotion in the believer, 
there would be lacking the vast variety of the per- 
sonal divine call to the sinner which is of more than 
romantic interest; since upon it depends not only our 
character in this present life, but our possibilities 
for weal or woe in a world to come. 1 

This is a great element of charm in the Scriptures, 
— the stories of the personal calling and conversion 
to God of men and women, young or old, in many 
different times and circumstances. The call of Abra- 
ham to leave his native city, Ur of the Chaldees, 
and go forth to a land which God would show him, is 
an instance. So was the experience of young Jacob 
at Bethel, when he dreamed of the ladder, and after- 
ward, when he wrestled with an Angel for a blessing. 
So was the case of Moses, whom the Lord met in the 
burning bush in the desert and sent him to rescue 
his people from bondage in Egypt. 2 

And there are many more, such as Gideon, who 
was called to destroy the idol standing near his 
father's home; Samuel, the child, who was called by 
the Lord while sleeping in the tent of the Holy Tab- 
ernacle; Saul, the young man, who was called while 
seeking his father's beasts that had strayed from 
home; David, whose youthful heart was touched by 
135 



136 THE CALL OF GOD TO THE SENHKR. 

the Spirit while he kept his sheep in the fields; and 
Elisha, who was called from the plow with his yoke 
of oxen. 3 

The New Testament also furnishes many ex- 
amples; the young fishermen hy the sea of Galilee, 
Nathanael under the fig tree, Levi at the receipt of 
Roman customs, Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damas- 
cus, the dying thief on the Cross, the eunuch of 
Ethopia in his chariot, and the jailer of Philippi at 
the hour of midnight. 4 Women, too, are not wanting, 
for there was Mary of Nazareth at her devotions, 
the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, Martha busy 
with her domestic cares, and Lydia, the seller of 
purple, wandering by the river bank near the city; 
all these and many more there were who heard and 
accepted the Call. 5 

It is an important hour in any one's life when this 
voice from God begins to stir and awaken the soul, 
when the sense of religious duty and privilege comes 
to the heart. Sometimes, as we have seen, it comes 
in early life, while the dew of youth is upon us. 
Again, it seems to arrive in later years, in the midst 
of pleasures and vanities, or among our earthly toils 
and perplexities. Or, again it comes just as the last 
hour of earthly opportunity is approaching; but 
always and every where it is God's call to the sin- 
ner, saying to us, " Son," " Daughter," " Give Me 
thine heart." " Take My yoke upon you and learn of 
Me; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My 
yoke is easy and My burden is light." 6 The mani- 
fold voices of the Church, the ever constant testi- 
mony of the Word in the Scriptures, the silent but 
powerful whisperings of the Holy Spirit, will come 
to us all sooner or later, perhaps have come to us 
already, and we cannot afford to reject the Call. 7 



THE CALL OF GOD TO THE SINNER. 137 

" Thou wind ! which art the unseen similitude of 
God, the Spirit, His most sweet and mightiest sign." 

Bailey. 

" As Martha came and spoke to her sister Mary in 
a " psychological moment," as modern writers 
would say; that is, in the crisis of her life experi- 
ence; so to us and to many has come the same glad 
message by the Spirit, " The Master is come and 
calleth for thee." It is a call to the Divine Presence, 
to a personal interview with the great Healer of 
sorrows and of souls. It may come and be unheeded; 
it may come and be rejected; but it comes to all." 

The Author. 

"The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and let 
him that heareth say, Come; and whosoever will, let 
him come and take of the water of life freely." 

Bible. 

REFERENCES. 

i Prov. 1 : 23, 33. Jer. 11 : 7. Isa. 43 : 1-7. John 6 : 37, 
44, 65, 10 : 3. Acts 2 : 39. Rom. 8 : 28. Ephes. 4:4. 1 
Thess. 2 : 12. 1 Peter 2:9, 5:10. 

2 Gen. 12 : 1-2, 28 : 10-15, 32 : 24-30. Ex. 3 : 1-10. 

* Judges 6:11-24. 1 Sam. 3:1-10, 10:9-13, 16:1-13. 1 
Kings 19 : 19-21. 

* Matt. 4 : 18-22. John 1 : 47-51. Luke 5 : 27-29, 19 : 1-10, 
23 : 39-43. Acts 8 : 26-40, 9 : 1-22, 16 : 25-34. 

5 Luke 1 : 26-28, 7 : 36-50, 10 : 38-42. John 4 : 5-30. Acts 
16: 14-15. 

6 Eccles. 12 : 1-7. Luke 15 : 17-18. Acts 16 : 1, 18 : 8, 
24:25, 26:28. 

* Matt. 20 : 1-7, 21 : 28-32. John 9 : 39-41. Isa. 65 : 12, 
66 : 4. Rev. 22 : 16-17. 

QUESTIONS. 

Does true religion consist only in rules or principles? 
Does it consist entirely in certain kinds of emotion? 
What important matter would there be lacking? 
What things depend upon God's call to the soul? 



138 THE CALL OP GOD TO THE SINNER. 

Are all men called of God in same manner? 
State the call of Abraham, of Jacob, and of Moses. 
How was Gideon called? Samuel? Saul? David? Elisha? 
Tell about the calling of the first disciples of Christ. 
Of Nathanael, of Levi, of the dying thief, of the 
Ethiopian. 

Of Saul of Tarsus, and of the Philippian jailer. 
Tell of the calling of several women also. 
Mention some general circumstances of this call. 
What is the language of God's sweetest invitation? 
In what various ways is God calling to-day? 



PRAYER. 

Thou ever-blessed Lord, who hast given me life, 
and hast watched over me all my days until now, 
help me, I humbly pray Thee, to hear and hearken 
to the voice of Thy Holy Spirit, and to answer His 
call aright. May I be willing and obedient, repenting 
of every sin and giving myself, with all my hopes 
and plans, to Thee, to live according to Thy Holy 
Will forevermore, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 



HYMN. (TUNE, RIVAULX.) 

God calling yet! shall I not hear? 

Earth's pleasures shall I still hold dear? 
Shall life's swift passing years all fly 

And still my soul in slumber lie? 

God calling yet! shall I not rise? 

Can I His loving voice despise? 
And basely His kind care repay? 

He calls me still, can I delay? 

God calling yet! and shall He knock, 
And I my heart the closer lock? 

He still is waiting to receive, 

And shall I dare His Spirit grieve? 



THE CALL OF GOD TO THE SINNER. 139 

God calling yet! And shall I give 
No heed, but still in bondage sin? 

I wait, but He does not forsake; 

He calls me still; my heart, awake! 

God calling yet! I cannot stay; 

My heart I yield without delay; 
Vain world, farewell, from thee I part; 

The voice of God hath reached my heart. 
Gerhakd Gersteegen. Tr. by J. B. 



XXXI. 

THE NEW BIRTH OF THE SOUL. 

The doctrine of the New Birth of the soul, or 
spiritual regeneration, as taught by Christ and the 
apostles, is also found to some extent in the Old 
Testament, as the doctrine of a new heart, or a 
change of heart, or the receiving of a right spirit. 1 
But in the Gospels and the Epistles, the second 
birth of the soul appears as the sign or standard 
of a state of salvation, or of personal acceptance 
with God, and is usually accompanied by the 
unction or witness of the Holy Spirit, which is also 
symbolized in the Sacrament of Baptism. 2 

Other types of this change are seen in the history 
of Naaman, the Syrian captain, who was healed of 
his leprosy by washing seven times in Jordan; and 
the healing by Christ of lepers and other persons 
with incurable infirmities; of the man who was born 
blind, and to whom Jesus restored his sight; and es- 
pecially of the man out of whom the evil spirits 
were cast, so that he was afterward found, " clothed, 
and in his right mind, sitting at the feet of Jesus." 3 

The real nature of this heart experience rs always 
the same, but its manifestation is largely dependent 
upon the age, the natural temperament, and the per- 
sonal history of the individual soul who thus be- 
comes a true spiritual child of God. 4 

However, a young child, particularly if he has 
been carefully trained and brought up in the true 
Christian faith and in habits of daily prayer to God, 
140 



THE NEW BIRTH OF THE SOUL. 141 

may often come into this state of personal faith, 
hope, and love toward Jesus Christ as his Saviour, 
without knowing precisely when and how it oc- 
curred, since it comes almost with his sense of 
responsibility. 5 

But in other cases, perhaps in the vast majority, 
there is a manifest tendency of the young soul to 
follow the natural impulses and desires of the unre- 
generate heart, which must be repented of and put 
away before we can receive the grace of God. Every 
such one who has been regenerated is likely to 
know and remember his change of heart. Some who 
are older and have become either great unbelievers 
or great sinners are liable to have a still sharper ex- 
perience, if they are ever converted at all. 6 

The child Timothy is an illustration of the first 
kind of conversion, and Saul of Tarsus of the last 
kind; but the first is the safest and far preferable, 
for those who receive it are thus " kept for the 
Master's use." Indeed, the idea of the new birth of 
the soul consists largely in going back to the spirit- 
ual state of a child, in humility, sincerity, and obedi- 
ence to all that God requires of us, as babes in 
Christ; yet, as true members of the great spiritual 
family of God in whose fellowship we may sooner 
or later grow up to the full spiritual stature of men 
and women in the service of Jesus Christ. 7 

The experience of this new birth in millions of 
souls is one of the greatest facts in support of the 
Gospel religion. 



" Conversion " is a deep work, a heart work. It 
goes throughout the man, throughout the members, 
throughout the entire life." 

Alleine. 



142 THE NEW BIRTH OF THE SOUL. 

" Grace comes into the soul, as the morning sun 
into the world; first a dawning; then a light; and 
at last the sun in all his brightness." 

F. Adams. 

" The religion of Christ reaches and changes the 
heart, which no other religion does." 

Ho WELLS. 

"The religion of a (saved) sinner stands on two 
pillars; namely, what Christ does for us in the flesh, 
and what He performs in us by His Spirit. Most 
errors arise from an attempt to separate these two." 

Cecil. 

" Grace is but glory begun ; and glory is but grace 
perfected." 

Jonathan Edwabds. 

REFERENCES. 

1 1 Sam. 10 : 6, 9. Ps. 51 : 10. Ezek. 11 : 19-20. Zech. 
3: 1-5. 

2 Matt. 11 : 27. Luke 11 : 13. John 3 : 3-7. 2 Cor. 5 : 17. 
Rom. 8 : 14-17. Acts 1:5. 19 : 1-7. Ephes. 1 : 13-14. 1 Pet. 
1 : 23. Gal. 6 : 15. 1 John 5 : 4-6. 

a 2 Kings 5 : 1-14. Matt 8 : 3. Mark 5 : 15. Luke 
7: 19-23. John 9:1-7. 

* Acts 9:17-19, 10:44-46, 13:12, 48, 16:14-15, 25-34, 
18: 8. 

5 Prov. 22 : 6. Ps. 78 : 5-8. Ephes. 6:4. 2 Tim. 1 : 5, 
3:14-15. 

6 Gen. 6:5. Ps. 81:11-12. Isa. 53:6. Rom. 3 : 19-20. 
Luke 18 : 26-27. 

7 Matt. 18 : 3. Luke 10 : 21. 1 Peter 2 : 1-3. Ephes. 
4: 11-15. 

QUESTIONS. 

Where is toe doctrine of a new or clean heart first found? 

Where is it taught as a new birth of the soul? 

Of what is this new birth made a sign or standard? 

By what witness is it usually accompanied? 

In what sacrament is this witness symbolized? 



THE NEW BIRTH OF THE SOUL. 143 

Mention some historical incidents of the Bible which also 
appear to symbolize the new birth. 

Is the real nature of this change always the same? 

How about its manifestation in our experience? 

What is sometimes a child's experience, and why so? 

What is true in the great majority of people? 

What is usually the experience of those who have grown 
older under the power of sin and unbelief? 

Mention some examples of the two extremes of experience. 
Which of the two is preferable, and why so? 

How is the new birth like going back to childhood? 

What is expected of all who are babes in Christ? 

What does such experience prove to the world? 

PRAYER. 

Grant me, Lord, to know the meaning of the new 
birth unto the Spirit of God. Forgive all my past 
sins, take away my inclinations toward sin, and so 
fill me with Thy Holy Grace and Love that I may 
abide in Christ and do His will in all things. So 
may I be of the number of Thy spiritual children, 
and have my name written among the good in heaven, 
for Christ's sake, who gave Himself for me. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, TRUMAN.) 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

" Come unto Me and rest, 
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down, 

Thy head upon My breast." 
I came to Jesus as I was, 

Weary and worn and sad, 
I found in Him a resting place, 

And He hath made me glad. 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

"Behold; I freely give 
The living water, Thirsty one, 

Stoop down, and drink, and live." 
I came to Jesus, and I drank 

Of that life-giving stream; 
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, 

And now I live in Him. 



144 THE NEW BIRTH OF THE SOUL. 

I heard the voice of Jesus say, 

" I am this dark world's light; 
Look unto me, Thy morn shall rise, 

And all Thy days be bright." 
I looked to Jesus and I found 

In Him my star, my sun; 
And in that light of life I'll walk 

Till traveling days are done. 

HOBATIUS BONAR. 



XXXII. 

THE LAW OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. 

When the prophecies and types of the Old Testa- 
ment had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ as the Mes- 
siah and Redeemer of the world, and after the 
Christian Church began to be established by the 
apostles, it was seen by them that the old ceremonial 
law of the Jewish Church was no longer of any neces- 
sary force or binding obligation. 1 

This was the more evident after some of the Gen- 
tiles were converted, and the question arose whether 
they, too, should have to keep the ceremonial law, 
which was clearly unnecessary if they had only a 
genuine saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet 
the true moral law is always the same, and could not 
be abolished nor set aside, because it rests on the 
eternal principles of righteousness. 2 

The true follower of Jesus Christ is always the 
man or woman who truly intends to do what is right 
under any and all possible circumstances. They 
intend to do this because they have turned away 
from sin and accepted the Gospel call to a new life; 
because they have been born again from above and 
are full of affection and zeal for Jesus Christ as 
their Saviour; because they have been received into 
the one great spiritual family of God, and are 
bound not so much by formal rules as by filial love. 3 

These high privileges of believers were taught by 
Jesus when he said to his disciples, " Henceforth, I 
10 145 



146 THE LAW OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. 

call you not servants, but friends; for the servant 
knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called 
you friends." On another occasion he said, " Whoso- 
ever shall do the will of my Father which is in 
heaven, the same is my brother and sister and 
mother." * 

But the sign of a true child of God is found in 
his readiness to follow the leadings of the Spirit of 
truth and grace. Otherwise, " the love of God is not 
in him," or " he is cast forth as a branch and 
withered." Even the effort to seek salvation by the 
observance of certain forms or special precepts is 
not good, " for the letter killeth, but the Spirit 
maketh alive." 5 

No prescribed rules are necessary to make an hon- 
est man honorable in his business dealings, or even 
to make a patriotic man stand for the interests of 
his country, since he cannot do anything else without 
changing his character. So the true Christian cannot 
bear that which is dishonorable to his Lord. 6 As in 
our social and civil life the boon of freedom depends 
on the right and honorable intentions of each neigh- 
bor and citizen, so it is in the kingdom of God; and 
whenever one deliberately and wilfully does wrong, 
he puts himself back again in the power of Satan. 7 



" True liberty consists only in the power of doing 
what we ought to will, and in not being constrained 
to do what we ought not to will." 

Jonathan Edwards. 

" If liberty with law is fire on the hearth, then 
liberty without law is fire on the floor." 

HlLLIARD. 



THE LAW OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. 147 

REFERENCES. 

1 Luke 16 : 16. Matt. 5 : 20. Rom. 9 : 31, 10 : 3. Heb. 
7: 18-19, 10: 1-14. 

2 Acts 15 : 1-31. Rom. 2 : 28-29, 3 : 31, 7 : 6. Gal. 4 : 9-11, 
5:1-14. Jas. 1:25. 1 Peter 2:11-16. 

3 John 8 : 31-32. Rom. 6 : 1-4, 17-18, 22, 13 : 8-10. Jas. 
2:12. 1 Peter 4 : 1-5. 1 Jno. 5 : 3. 

4 Matt. 12 : 46-50. John 15 : 14-15. Col. 3 : 1-4. Ephes. 
2 : 19-22. 

6 John 15:5-6. Rom. 8 : 14. 2 Cor. 3 : 6. Gal. 5 : 16-18, 
6:7-8. 1 John 2: 15-17. 

6 Matt. 7 : 16-20, 12 : 33-35. Luke 6 : 43-45. John 14 : 21, 
23-24. 1 Peter 2:9. 

7 Luke 11:23. John 8:34-39. Rom. 6:16. Phil. 
2: 12-16. 1 John 3:8. 

QUESTIONS. 

What portions of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus 
Christ as the Messiah and Redeemer? 

What then became of the Jewish ceremonial law? 

What circumstance soon rendered this evident? 

What was essential now instead of the Jewish law? 

How did this change affect the moral law of God? 

What does the true disciple of Christ always mean to do? 

Give three reasons why his intentions must be good. 

What did Jesus call his disciples and followers? 

Mention a special sign of a true child of God. 

Why may not the observance of forms and precepts save 
us? 

How do rules of conduct affect an honest man or a 
patriot? 

What is that which a true Christian cannot bear? 

On what does freedom depend in social and civil life? 

How does this rule work in the kingdom of God? 

What is the result when a Christian wilfully and de- 
liberately does what he knows to be wrong? 



PRAYER. 

O Lord, I thank thee for the great privilege of walk- 
ing in thy ways under the sweet influence of love 
to Christ and of love for the truth, the' right, and 



148 THE LAW OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. 

the good. May I ever abide in this blessed way, and 
may my heart be kept by thy tender grace from the 
love of sin and evil in all of their forms. This I 
ask in the name of Jesus Christ, my Saviour. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, LOVE DIVINE.) 

Love divine, all love excelling, 

Joy of heaven, to earth come down. 
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling, 

All Thy faithful mercies crown. 
Jesus, Thou art all compassion, 

Pure, unbounded love Thou art, 
Visit us with Thy salvation, 

Enter every trembling heart. 

Breathe, O breathe, Thy loving spirit 

Into every troubled breast, 
Let us all in Thee inherit, 

Let us find that second rest. 
Take away our bent to sinning, 

Alpha and Omega be, 
End of faith as its beginning, 

Set our hearts at liberty. 

Come, Almighty to deliver, 

Let us all Thy grace receive, 
Suddenly return, and never, 

Nevermore Thy temples leave; 
Thee we would be always praising, 

Serve Thee as Thy hosts above, 
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, 

Glory in Thy perfect love. 

Charles Wesley. 



XXXIII. 

THE DANGERS OF TEMPTATION. 

We must remember, however, that when one be- 
comes a true Christian and a child of God, he does 
not thereby cease to be a human being, nor does 
he go immediately out of this world; but remains 
for some time subject to its conditions, as a member 
of society with personal duties. 1 

His moral nature has been renewed, and he has 
been " strengthened with might in the inner man," 
so that in a manner, " all things have become new; " 
yet he must " walk worthily before them that are 
without," he must keep himself as " a vessel unto 
honor," and " do all things to the glory of God." 2 

Yet, if some of the angels in heaven were once 
tempted and " kept not their first estate," so must 
the Christian beware of the assaults of Satan, who 
" goeth about as a roaring lion," seeking whom he 
may devour and destroy. It was the Lord's injunc- 
tion to his own chosen ones, " Watch and pray, lest 
ye enter into temptation; " and this is still the duty 
of every Christian. 2 

There are pitfalls on every side for the unwary, 
deceit for the ignorant, discouragement for the inex- 
perienced, and perils for those of weak courage; 
so that generally speaking, it takes a right manly 
man to be a true man of God, and one must be on 
his guard in constant prayer and watchfulness to 
escape being cast down by sudden temptation. 4 

Like a strong but tender Father, who loves his 
child and does not charge him with every little mis- 
149 



150 THE DANGERS OF TEMPTATION. 

take, because he knows his heart is right, so the 
Lord does not hold us sharply for every slip; "for 
he knoweth our frame, that we are dust; " yet every 
yielding to sin is dangerous. 5 

We must be positive, decided, and steady in char- 
acter, holding fast to the truth, making no com- 
promise with wrong, avoiding every appearance of 
evil, always doing good as we have opportunity, and 
zealous for the honor of the Lord, if we would stand 
in the evil day, and come off the field victorious. 6 

If some mistake has been made, some error com- 
mitted, some weakness in us revealed, we can come 
like a child to its Father, and ask not only forgive- 
ness, but strength to resist for the future; and God 
will surely answer our prayers, if sincere, and if ut- 
tered in a spirit of earnest desire for strength. 7 

But wilful sin and a selfish desire to please God 
while holding on to our wrong doing, whatever may 
be its nature, cannot long endure; for we may be 
sure our sin will find us out. Then, either there 
must be quick and earnest repentance, or our hearts 
will be swallowed up by the elements of the world 
to see the glory of God no more. 8 



" Occasions of adversity best discover how great 
virtue or strength each one hath. For occasions do 
not make a man frail but show what he is." 

Thomas a Kempis. 

" Every moment of resistance to temptation is a 
victory." 

Fabeb. 

" Temptations are like a file. They rub off much 
of our self-confidence." 

Fenelon. 



THE DANGERS OF TEMPTATION 151 

" To pray against temptations, and yet rush into 
occasions of them, is to thrust your fingers into the 
fire, and then pray that they might not be burnt." 

Secker. 

REFERENCES. 

1 John 17 : 14-15. 1 Cor. 5 : 9-10, 7 : 20, 24. 2 Cor. 4 : 6-7. 
Titus 2: 11-12. 

2 Titus 3:5. Ephes. 3:14-19, 4:1. 1 Cor. 10:31. Col. 
4 : 5-6. 2 Tim. 2 : 19-21. 

3 2 Peter 2 : 4 Jude 6. 1 Peter 5 : 8-9. Luke 22 : 40, 46. 
Ephes. 6 : 10-18. 

4 Matt. 24 : 4-5, 11-12, 24. Luke 21 : 25-26, 34-36. 1 Cor. 
16:13. 2 Cor. 11:13-15. 1 Tim. 4:1-4, 6:9-12. 2 Tim. 
2:1, 3, 16, 17, 3 : 1-5, 13, 14. Jas. 1:12. 1 Peter 1 : 3-9. 

5 Ps. 79 : 38-39, 103 : 8-18. Luke 23 : 34. Rom. 2 : 4, 
5:10. 2 Peter 3:9. 1 John 5 : 16-17. 

6 Luke 9 : 57-62, 14 : 25-35. 1 Cor. 10 : 12-13, 15 : 58. 2 
Thess. 3 : 6-7, 14-15. Gal. 6 : 9-10. 

7 Matt. 23:12. Luke 18:9-14. John 13:8-10. Jas. 
4 : 10, 5 : 14-15. 1 John 1 : 9. 

s Luke 16 : 13. Acts 8 : 18-24. Hen. 12 : 14-17. Jas. 1 : 8, 
13-15. 2 Pet. 2 : 20-21. 



QUESTIONS. 

Where must one live after becoming a child of God? 
What are a Christian's duties with respect to the world? 
Is it needful to make an effort after conversion? 
What are some things a Christian must try to do? 
What great example have we of the power of temptation? 
What is said of the character of Satan, the enemy? 
What was the Lord's injunction to his apostles? 
Mention some common kinds of temptation. 
What kind of a man, then, must a Christian be? 
Does God enter into sharp judgment with his children? 
Is every yielding to temptation really dangerous? 
What attitude must we then take toward all sin? 
Is it possible to overcome every sort of temptation? 
If we have made a mistake, what must we do? 
What is the promise of forgiveness for such sins? 
What is the speedy result of self deception, or indulgence 
in a deliberate life of sin? 



152 THE DAGGERS OF TEMPTATION. 

PRAYER. 

Help me, Lord, to watch and pray daily and hourly, 
lest I enter into temptation unawares and be taken 
in the snare of the enemy. Make me strong and 
true, brave and consistent, in all my conduct, that 
others may see that I am indeed a true child of 
God; and in every hour of trial, grant me some way 
to escape or overcome the evil, through Christ, my 
Redeemer, that I bring no reproach upon his name. 
Amen. 

HYMN". (TUNE, ARLINGTON.) 

"Am I a soldier of the cross 

A follower of the Lamb, 
And shall I fear to own His cause, 

Or blush to speak His name? 

Must I be carried to the skies 

On flowery beds of ease, 
Whilst others fought to win the prize 

And sailed through bloody seas? 

Are there no foes for me to face? 

Must I not stem the flood? 
Is this vile world a friend to grace 

To help me on to God? 

Sure I must fight if I would reign; 

Increase my courage, Lord; 
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, 

Supported by Thy word. 

Thy saints in all this glorious war 
Shall conquer, though they die; 

They see the triumph from afar; 
By faith they bring it nigh." 

Isaac Watts. 



XXXIV. 

THE LIFE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 

Besides prayer and watchfulness, probably there is 
no better defense against all kinds of temptation 
than a life of earnest service to Christ, and of fol- 
lowing as best we can the example of Him who 
went about while here on earth, doing all possible 
good both to the bodies and the souls of our fellow- 
men, thus promoting the interests of the kingdom 
of God. 1 

The Lord has various ways of working in this 
world. Many things are done by him directly in the 
course of his providence. Other things are done or 
have been done through the Son of God and the 
Holy Spirit. But it seems to be a part of God's all- 
wise purpose that many things should be done by us 
as his personal agents and children. Surely this is 
a very great and high privilege for us. Angels are 
represented in the Scriptures as being often sent 
forth on errands of love and mercy to fulfill God's 
gracious pleasure. But this is the same kind of work 
that is set for us to do, in making the world better 
and brighter where we pass, and bringing in the 
spirit of Christ among men. 2 

Many of the greatest, sweetest, and most wonderful 
lives ever known to the world have been spent in 
this way of service to Christ and humanity, whether 
as prophets, apostles, missionaries, reformers, or as 
workers in other and less conspicuous places among 
men. No one is excused because his lot is a humble 
153 



154 THE LIFE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 

one, or because he has only a single talent to be 
given to the Lord. What the Master thinks of such 
service was shown more than once in his ministry; 
as when he commended the poor widow who had cast 
her two mites into the Lord's treasury, or when he 
declared that whosoever should give so much as a 
cup of cold water in His name should be rewarded. 3 

Every age, and especially our own, abounds in op- 
portunities for engaging in this service of Christ, 
who is calling still for laborers to enter the fields 
that are " white unto harvest." There is no place 
in city or country, at home or abroad, where there 
are not calls for service; and always both the sower 
and the reaper shall have their wages. 4 

Christian work is not always easy, and often it is 
very hard, indeed; but then, the difficult places are 
usually where there is the greatest need of all, and 
where the spirit of Christ is most a stranger. Who- 
ever can and will enter these needy places, and do 
the Lord's work, is as truly a hero as any soldier on 
the field of battle; and this is a holy warfare for the 
honor and success of the kingdom of God. 6 

Every sad heart cheered, every weak one 
strengthened, every weary one helped along in life's 
dusty highway, every soul rescued from the power 
of evil, shall be like so many jewels in our crown, 
by and by. For, said the Master, " Inasmuch as ye 
have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have 
done it unto me.'' 6 



" Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, 
to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at 
all the times you can, as long as ever you can." 

John Wesley. 



THE LIFE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 155 

" A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making 
everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles." 

Irving. 

" I expect to pass through life but once. — If, there- 
fore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good 
thing I can do to any fellow-being, let me do it now, 
and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this 
way again." 

Wm. Penn. 

" I had rather never receive a kindness than never 
bestow one." 

Seneca. 

" Sow good services; sweet remembrances shall 
grow from them." 

Mme. de Stael. 

" Kind hearts are more than coronets, 
And simple faith than Norman blood." 

Alfred Tennyson. 

" With malice toward none and charity for all, 
let us go forward and do the right as God gives us 
to see the right." 

A. Lincoln. 

REFERENCES. 

i Matt. 20 : 1-2. 26-27, 21 : 28-31, 33-34. John 12 : 26. 
Acts 10 : 38. Rom. 12 : 10-13, 14 : 17-18. 1 Cor. 14 : 1-5, 26. 
Phil. 4 : 10-19. Jas. 2 : 14-17. 

2 Luke 10 : 1-9, 22 : 43. Ps. 103 : 20-21. 2 Cor. 8:7, 9, 
12, 9 : 6-15. Phil. 2 : 12-16. 1 Thess. 3:12. 1 Tim. 6 : 17- 
19. Heb. 1 : 7, 14, 13 : 15-16. 1 Peter 4 : 9-10. 

3 Matt. 10 : 40-42. Luke 7 : 38, 21 : 1-4. Phil. 4:3, 2:17. 
Heb. 11:24-26, 12: 2. 

* Matt. 9 : 36-38. John 4 : 35-36. 1 Cor. 3 : 8-9, 12-14. 
Gal. 6:9-10. 

5 Matt. 10 : 16, 34-36. Luke 12 : 4-5, 49-53. 1 Cor. 4 : 9-13. 
2 Cor. 4 : 8-12, 23-28. 

« Matt. 25 : 40, 45. Acts 3 : 6. Rom. 15 : 1-3, 14 : 20-21. 
1 Cor. 9 : 19-22. Gal. 6 : 1-2. Jas. 5 : 19-20. 



156 THE LIFE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is one of the best defenses against temptation? 

Whose example should we follow in this service? 

What two classes of benefits may we confer upon others? 

What general interests are always thereby promoted? 

Mention three ways by which God works among men. 

What other agency does He very frequently employ? 

What appears to be the employment of angels? 

How, then, may we share the privileges of angels? 

What have been among the greatest lives in history? 

Why are we not excused on accoun. of a humble lot? 

What is said of the man with but a single talent? 

State two instances where a small service was commended 
by Christ as worthy of mention or deserving a reward. 

Are there many opportunities to work for Christ? 

In what places are these calls Christian service? 

Is such service usually easy cr difficult? What is said of 
the heroic spirit of some Christian workers? 

What kind of deeds will add to ©ur joy by and by? 

Repeat the promise of Christ to those who have rendered 
some service to their needy fellowmen. 

PRAYER. 

O Lord, I thank thee for the great privilege of doing 
some good in the world, and being of some use to 
thy kingdom. Make me to be diligent and faithful 
in every duty and opportunity, that I may have 
cause to rejoice in the day of Christ, when He comes 
to reckon with his servants. I ask it all in His 
blessed name. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, ILLINOIS.) 

Go, labor on; spend and be spent, 

Thy joy to do the Father's will; 
It is the way the Master went; 

Should not the servant tread it still? 

Go, labor on; 'tis not for naught; 

Thine earthly loss is heavenly gain; 
Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not; 

The Master praises, — what are men? 



THE LIFE OP CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 157 

Go, labor on; your hands are weak; 

Your knees are faint, your soul cast down; 
Yet falter not; the prize you seek 

Is near, — a kingdom and a crown! 

H. Bonae. 



XXXV. 

THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES. 

There are certain noble qualities, or traits of per- 
sonal character, which come out sooner or later in 
every truly strong and consistent Christian life; and 
which are the ornaments and attractions of such a 
life in the sight of God, and man, and the holy 
angels. 1 

These we may call the Christian Virtues, because 
they are the manifestation of a sincere Christian 
spirit; and at least seven of these are noted by the 
apostle Peter, namely: diligence, virtue, knowledge, 
temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness. 
He also mentions faith and charity; but these will 
go into tbe next lesson. It will be well for us to lay 
up this list in memory, and consider from time to 
time in which of them we may most lack. 2 

The first is diligence; or activity, punctuality, and 
faithfulness in performing all the ordinary duties of 
a Christian; such as daily prayer, reading the 
Scriptures, doing all possible good, and attending on 
the customary means of grace with God's people; 
also seeking out our best opportunities for improve- 
ment and usefulness. 3 

The second is virtue itself; or as here presented, a 
genuine manly or womanly spirit of moral courage 
and firmness in our profession at all times and in all 
places, regardless of bad example or temptation; and 
glorying in loyalty to Jesus Christ, our Saviour. 4 
158 



THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES. 159 

The third is knowledge; or a personal understand- 
ing and sound judgment of the teachings of the Holy- 
Scriptures; and of all matters connected with the 
practice of religion, and of our proper deportment 
toward our fellowmen. 5 

The fourth is temperance; which means not only 
a care to avoid things hurtful in eating and drink- 
ing, but a wise and steady self-control over all our 
appetites and passions; that we be not led into 
trouble and evil habits thereby. It may also include 
moderation in our words and opinions. 6 

The fifth is patience; or a spirit of constancy and 
endurance under the trials that come to us; either 
in the things that are incident to the common lot of 
human life, such as injustice, sickness, disappoint- 
ment, and sorrow; or in those things, such as tempta- 
tion, or personal sacrifice, and duty, which belong 
to our Christian profession. 7 

The sixth is godliness; which means the cultiva- 
tion of true devotion to God in the heart, the conse- 
cration of all our powers to him, and abstention from 
undue levity, or unseemly conversation, or other con- 
duct that would tend to bring reproach upon our 
holy religion. 8 

The seventh is brotherly kindness; which certainly 
needs no definition; for it is of the very spirit of 
Christ, in all gentleness and humility, in all sym- 
pathy and mercy, in opening our hearts, our hands, 
and even our homes to comfort or encourage any 
who are trying to please God, or to do what we can 
for any who need assistance. 9 

To the above we may yet add another general 
trait of the true Christian which is commended to us 
by the apostle Paul in his epistle to the Philippians. 
It may be called highmindedness. or the spirit of 
honesty and justice, of purity and loveliness, of 



160 THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES. 

honor and loyalty to all that is true and beautiful 
and good in the sight of God and man. 10 



" To be innocent is not to be guilty; but to be 
virtuous is to overcome our evil feelings and inten- 
tions." 

Wm. Penn. 

" I am no herald to inquire of men's pedigrees; 
it sumceth me if I know their virtues." 

Sir Philip Sidney. 

" Every virtue gives a man a degree of felicity in 
some kind." 

"Walsingham. 

" The virtues, like the Muses, are always seen in 
groups." 

Jane Porter. 

REFERENCES. 

* Matt. 7 : 16-20, 12 : 33-37. Luke 6 : 43-45. ^ohn 15 : 1-8. 
Phil. 1 : 9-11. 

2 2 Peter 1:1-12. Ephes. 4:11-16, 5:25-27. Heb. 
13 : 20-21. 

8 Rom. 13 : 11-12. 1 Cor. 15 : 34. 1 Thess. 5 : 5-11. Rev. 
3 : 15-16. 2 Peter 3 : 14. 

4 Matt. 10 : 26, 28-31. Luke 12 : 4-8, 32-40. Acts 4 : 13, 
19-20. 1 Cor. 15: 58. 

5 Rom. 15 : 14. Col. 1 : 9-10, 2 : 1-9. 1 Tim. 1 : 3-7, 4 : tf, 
13. 2 Tim. 1:7, 13, 2 : 15. 2 Peter 3 : 18. 

6 Luke 16:19. Rom. 13:13-14. Gal. 5:16-24. Phil, 
3 : 19, 4 : 5. 1 Peter 2:11, 4 : 2-4. 

7 Luke 21 : 16-19. Rom. 5 : 3-4, 15 : 4-5. Col. 1:11. Heb. 
10 : 35-36. Jas. 1 : 2-4, 5 : 7-8. 

8 Matt. 22 : 36-37. Ephes. 2 : 1-7, 4 : 25-32, 5 : 1-21. Col. 
3:15-17. 1 Tim. 4:8, 12-16, 6:6, 11-16. 

9 Luke 10 : 29-37. Rom. 12 : 10. Ephes. 4 : 31-32. Col. 
3: 12-13. 1 Jno. 3: 14-17. 

10 Phil. 4 : 8-9. Rom. 8 : 12-21. Psa. 29 : 1-2, 90 : 16-17, 
96 : 6-9. 



THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES. 161 

QUESTIONS. 

Are there any special traits of Christian character? 

Do these add to the attraction of a Christian life? 

How many and what traits are named by St. Peter? 

Why are these called the Christian Virtues? 

State some of the things included in Diligence, 

Mention some qualities implied in Virtue itself. 

Tell what is understood by Christian Knowledge. 

Give a definition of Christian Temperance. 

Under what conditions do we require Patience? 

What positive and negative traits in true Godliness? 

What are some manifestations of brotherly kindness? 

Repeat the passage quoted from the epistle to the Philip- 
pians. 

What is this general trait here called by the one general 
name of High-mindedness? 

How does it compare with the other standards of honor 
that are recognized in this world? 

PRAYER. 

Lord, keep me from living a poor, selfish, barren 
life, like the unfruitful tree or vine. But make me 
to delight and abound in all the qualities of a true 
Christian, doing my duty toward Thee, to myself, and 
my fellow-men, in a spirit of love and honor. So 
may my life be a blessing to others, and receive 
a daily blessing from Thee, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, SOMETHING FOR THEE.) 

Saviour, Thy dying love, Thou gavest me, 

Nor should I ought withhold, Dear Lord, from 
Thee. 
In love my soul would bow, My heart fulfill its vow, 
Some offering bring Thee now, Something for 
Thee. 

At the blest mercy seat, Pleading for me, 

My feeble faith looks up, Jesus, to Thee; 
Help me the cross to bear, Thy wondrous love de- 
clare, 
Some song to raise or prayer, Something for 
Thee. 
11 



162 THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUES. 

Give me a faithful heart, likeness to Thee, 

That each departing day, Henceforth may see, 
Some work of love begun, Some deed of kindness 
done, 
Some wanderer sought and won, Something for 
Thee. 

All that I am and have, Thy gifts so free, 

In joy, in grief, through life, Dear Lord, for 
Thee; 
And when Thy face I see, My ransomed soul shall 
be, 
Through all eternity, Something for Thee." 

S. D. Phelps. 



XXXVI. 

THE CHRISTIAN GRACES. 

There are still other elements of the Christian 
life which are higher, deeper, and broader than 
those we have last discussed; but which form the 
very soil, the nourishment, and the spiritual life 
principles in and by which the virtues are planted 
and developed; while they are yet also the very at- 
mosphere of our holy religion because they are felt 
wherever a Christian life exists. 1 

The three Christian Graces, often so-called, are 
Faith, Hope and Charity, which are beautifully de- 
scribed in several portions of the New Testament as 
being the common inheritance of all true Christians. 2 

Faith is belief, confidence, trust in a person, or in 
a promise, or in a statement of facts or principles. 
We are often urged in the Scriptures to have faith 
in God; that is, in his wisdom, his righteousness, his 
providence, his Word, and his Holy Spirit. Again 
we are taught to have faith in Christ as the Son 
of God in his gospel of the Kingdom of God among 
men, and in his promises of grace and salvation unto 
all who come to God by him. This faith is a realiz- 
ing sense of the truth and power of the religion 
which is given to us in the Gospel; and it is also a 
duty because it comes to us in proportion as we 
attend to the truths and privilege which it presents. 
The soul which is seeking after God and his spiritual 
favor, which is truly hungering and thirsting after 
the virtues of the Christian life and personal salva- 
tion from all sin, will usually find the matter of faith 
vastly easier to grasp than one who is wholly given 
163 



164 - THE CHRISTIAN GRACES. 

over to secular pursuits, or perhaps to things di- 
rectly opposed to the spirit of the Gospel. 3 

Hope is an aspiration, a prospect, an expectation 
of the soul concerning something that is desirable 
and good; but more especially, and in the highest 
sense, the looking for a final and lasting state of 
spiritual comfort and safety, beyond the reach of sin 
and shame, trial and sorrow, forevermore. This 
hope is held out to us in the Christian religion with 
a definiteness and a reasonableness found nowhere 
else in the wide world, and it is an anchor to the 
soul who has thus committed his future to the 
hands of the Lord. It makes him strong in adversity, 
steadfast in good purposes, patient in temptation, and 
joyful under afflictions, and helps him to develop a 
strong Christian character. Besides, the fact of hope 
buoys up the soul in age and weakness, when all 
things earthly are passing away, because we look for 
" an house from heaven not made with hands," and 
for a city which hath eternal foundations.* 

But Charity is the flower and crown of the Christ- 
ian Graces, the ripest and richest fruit of the Christ- 
ian life. More than faith and hope, it is something 
to be seen, and felt, and enjoyed by the possessor, 
and by those who come into personal relations with 
him; for it yields fragrance and delight wherever 
it goes. True charity, however, is the mark of a soul 
made great by the grace of God, often through much 
trial; for that spirit, strong and loving, innocent and 
patient, humble and yet victorious, which compels 
even one's enemies to be at peace with him and to 
admire him, is of the highest culture and the rarest 
refinement. Yet it is sometimes possessed by obscure 
Christian people who are unaware of any greatness 
in themselves, content to serve God wherever it may 
please Him to give them a place, — choice souls of 



THE CHRISTIAN GRACES. 165 

whom this world is not worthy, and whom it does 
not understand. 5 



" The Christian graces are like perfumes, the more 
they are present, the sweeter they smell; like stars 
which shine brightest in the dark; like trees, which, 
the more they are shaken, the deeper root they take, 
and the more fruit they bear." 

Beaumont. 

" Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace 
perfected." 

Jonathan Edwards. 

REFERENCES. 

1 John 14 : 21, 23, 26-27. Rom. 8 : 31-39, 12 : 1-2. Ephes. 
3:14-21. Phil. 1:9-11. Col. 1:9-11, 3:15-17. Heb. 
12 : 1-2, 13 : 20-21. 1 Peter 5 : 10. 

2 1 Cor. 13 : 1-13. Phil. 2 : 1-3, 12-16. 1 Thess. 1 : 2-4. 
Col. 1 : 4-5. 

3 Matt. 9 : 29. Mark 11 : 22. Luke 17 : 6. Acts 3 : 16, 
15:9. Rom. 1 : 17, 5 : 1. 1 Cor. 16 : 13. 2 Cor. 5 : 7. Gal. 
2:16,20. Eph. 1:15-19, 3:17. Col. 2 : 5, 7. Heb. 10 : 22, 
38, 11 : 1-40. Jas. 1 : 5-6. 1 Peter 1 : 5. 7, 9. 1 John 5 : 4. 

* Ps. 39:7, 71:5, 146:5. John 14:1-3, 18-19. Acts 
26 : 6-7. Rom. 5 : 2-5, 8 : 24-25, 15 : 13. Ephes. 1 : 18, 
2:12-13. Phil. 1:20. Col. 1:5, 23, 27. Titus 1:2, 
2 : 13, 3 : 7. Heb. 3:6, 6 : 10-11, 18-20. 1 Peter 1 : 3-4, 21, 
3:15. 1 John 3 : 1-3. 

5 Matt. 5 : 43-48. Luke 9 : 51-56, 23 : 34. John 13 : 34. 
Acts 3: 17-18. Rom. 14 : 14-15, 19-21. 1 Cor. 8 : 1. 13 : 1-13, 
16 : 14. Col. 3 : 14. 2 Thess. 1:3. 1 Peter 4:8. 2 Pet. 
1 : 7. Ephes. 4 : 32. 1 Jno. 3 : 10-14. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is here said concerning other elements of a Christian 
life besides the virtues last mentioned? 

How are these related to the Christian virtues? 

Why do we also call them the atmosphere of religion? 

Where are the Christian Graces described? 

What is Faith in a general sense? 

What is meant by having faith in God? 



166 THE CHRISTIAN GRACES. 

What is meant by having faith in Christ? 

What, then, is the place of faith in our religion? 

Wbat things tend to make faith easy or difficult? 

What is Hope in a general way? 

What is the great object of a religious hope? 

How does the Christian hope compare with other hopes? 

What is its effect upon him who possesses it? 

What place does Cbarity hold in the Christian life? 

In what ways is it even more than faith and hope? 

What does true charity indicate in its possessor? 

What is its influence upon those around us? 

In what sort of people is it often found? 

PRAYER. 

O God, my heavenly Father, assist me day by day 
that I may grow in the knowledge and grace of 
Jesus Christ, my Saviour, and come up to the full 
stature of a Christian man. Fill my heart with thy 
spirit, my mind with thy truth, my lips and my 
hands with thy service. So may I be made to abound 
in faith, hope, and Christian charity, for Jesus' sake. 
Amen. 

HYMN. (TUNE, BELLEVILLE.) 

Lord, Thou hast promised grace for grace 
To all who daily seek Thy face; 

To them who have, Thou givest more 
Out of Thy vast, exhaustless store. 

Each step we take but gathers strength 
For further progress, till at length 

With ease, the highest steps we gain 

And count the mountain but a plain. 

Who watch and pray, and work each hour 
Receive new life and added power, 

A power fresh victories to win, 

Over the world, and self, and sin. 

Help us, O Lord, that we may grow 

iln grace, as Thou dost grace bestow; 

And still Thy richest gifts repeat 
Till grace in glory is complete. 

Samuel K. Cox. 



XXXVII. 

THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE. 

The full measure of Christian grace and character 
is not to be reached by any one in a day or a year; 
but is usually the outgrowth of much experience and 
earnest devotion to the work of God. Thus the soul 
is gradually perfected in the knowledge and love 
of God through the Gospel of Christ, and this is 
supplemented by the aid of the Holy Spirit. 1 

For whether one be a farmer, or a craftsman, or a 
soldier, or a sailor, or a merchant, or a physician, or 
a teacher, or a ruler of men, he must engage in the 
exercise of his calling in order to master it. So, too, 
the Christian must exercise himself in religion in 
order to acquire real power, wisdom, and sympathy 
in things pertaining to the spiritual side of life. 8 

Thus he will presently come to stand for something 
in the cause of God, and to be of some real worth 
in the cause of God, and to be of some real worth 
to the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet these positive ele- 
ments of character are gained no less by a steady 
perseverance and patient endurance than by the out- 
ward successes that we accomplish; for even these 
do not always mark the highest attainments in 
strength of personal character. 3 

As iron is wrought into useful forms upon the 
forge with many blows, and as gold is refined by 
passing through the fire, so it must be with God's 
children, and so it has been with the noblest men 
and women of all the ages. Even Moses, the mighty 
lawgiver of Israel, was sorely discouraged at times. 
167 



168 THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE. 

So was Elijah, when he fled from Ahab and Jezebel 
to Mt. Horeb; and so was Jeremiah among his peo- 
ple at the fall of Jerusalem.* 

The life of the apostle Paul was no less wonderful 
for the great fight of afflictions that he endured than 
for his great successes in preaching the Gospel; and 
like nearly all the rest of the apostles, he sealed his 
testimony at the last with a martyr's death. Thus it 
is also written of Christ himself, that " the Captain 
or our Salvation " was " made perfect through suffer- 
ings; " and that having been " tempted in all points 
like as we are, yet without sin, he is able to succor 
them that are tempted." 5 

Such experiences as these are doubtless hard to be 
borne, and they are often the occasions of sore per- 
plexity to true Christians; yet they have their use 
in revealing to us the hidden strength of the Spirit, 
in weaning our hearts away from the perishing 
things of this world, and in thus preparing us to 
better appreciate and enjoy a home in heaven. 6 

It would appear from the Scriptures that there is 
special honor in the world to come for such as have 
been thus perfected in grace while on earth, and 
have glorified the Lord by their constancy, showing 
that He saves even unto the uttermost. 7 



"God had one Son on earth without sin; but never 
one without suffering." 

St. Augustine. 

" Blessed be the discipline which makes me reach 
out to a closer union with Jesus! Blessed be the 
dews of the Spirit which keep my leaf ever green! 
Blessed be the trials which shake down the ripe 
golden fruits from the branches! 

Cuyleb. 



THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE. 169 

" Many secrets of religion are not perceived till 
they be felt, and are not felt but in the day of a great 
calamity." 

Jeremy Taylor. 

" With the wind of tribulation, God separates the 
wheat from the chaff in the threshing-floor of the 
soul." 

Molinos. 

" Extraordinary afflictions are not always the pun- 
ishment of extraordinary sins; but sometimes the 
trial of extraordinary graces." 

Matthew Henry. 

"There is no Christian but has his Gethsemane; 
but every praying Christian will find there is no 
Gethsemane without an angel." 

Binney. 

"A stern discipline pervades all nature; which is 
a little cruel that it may be very kind." 

Spenser. 

REFERENCES. 

i Matt. 13:31-33, 17:21. Mark 4:26-32. Luke 13:6-9. 
Rom. 5 : 1-5. Ephes. 4 : 11-15. Col. 1 : 27-28. Heb. 

10 : 19-25. 

2 Matt. 10 : 38-39, 16 : 24-27. Phil. 2 : 12-13. 1 Tim. 
4:7-8, 11-16. Heb. 5: 12-14. 

3 Matt. 5 : 10-12. Acts 5 : 41, 14 : 21-22. 2 Tim. 2 : 3, 
11-12. 1 Peter 1 : 6-7, 4 : 12-19. 

4 Num. 11 : 10-15. 1 Kings 19 : 1-4. Ps. 73 : 1-18. Lam. 
1 : 12. Jonah 4:3, 8. 

6 Luke 22 : 39-44, 24 : 46. John 12 : 23-33. 2 Cor. 4 : 7-11, 

11 : 18-28. Heb. 2 : 9-10, 17-18, 5 : 7-8. 1 Peter 2 : 21-23. 

6 1 Cor. 4 : 9-14, 7 : 29-31. 2 Cor. 6 : HO. Heb. 10 : 32-34, 
11 : 32-40, 12 : 1-11. Jas. 1 : 12. 1 Peter 4 : 16-19. 

7 Matt. 19 : 27-30. Luke 22 : 28-30. 2 Cor. 4 : 17-18. 
Rev. 7 : 13-17. 



170 THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE. 

QUESTIONS. 

Is the full measure of grace to be reached at once? 

By what agencies is this state to be attained? 

What must the Christian himself do to this end, and why? 

What effect will these efforts have on him personally? 

What other experiences tend to a positive Christian char- 
acter? 

Mention some symbols of this sort of training. 

Mention some Bible examples of the same kind. 

What are some things said about Christ's suffering? 

Why are such experiences so very hard to endure? 

However, what are some of their uses to us? 

What appears to be an especial outcome of such trials for 
those who have met and borne them successfully? 



PRAYER. 

Help me, O Lord, to be faithful under temptation, 
submissive in affliction, steady and true in all the 
trials of a Christian life, that I may show myself to 
be thy child, and that I may also know the way of 
blessing and the vision of glory. Keep me in every 
hour of conflict from falling away from thee, for 
Jesus' sake. Amen. 



HYMN. (TUNE, CUTLER.) 

The Son of God goes forth to war, 

A kingly crown to gain; 
His blood-red banner streams afar; 

Who follows in His train? 
Who best can drink his cup of woe, 

Triumphant over pain, 
Who patient bears his cross below, 

He follows in His train. 

The martyr first, whose eagle eye 
Could pierce beyond the grave, 

Who saw his Master in the sky, 
And called on Him to save; 



THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE. 171 

Like Him, with pardon on His tongue, 

In midst of mortal pain, 
He prayed for them that did the wrong, 

Who follows in His train? 

A glorious band, the chosen few 

On whom the Spirit came, 
Twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew, 

And mocked the cross and flame; 
They climbed the steep ascent of heaven 

Through peril, toil and pain. 
O God, to us may grace be given 

To follow in their train! 

R. Hebeb. 



XXXVIIL 

THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS. 

In order to serve the Lord more efficiently, to 
sustain and encourage each other in the Christian 
life, and to labor together for the salvation of souls 
and the extension of Christ's kingdom among men, 
we need the union or fellowship of all true believers 
as established by Jesus Christ in his Church. 1 

The basis of the Church is one Lord, one faith, one 
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above 
all, and through all, and in the hearts of all true 
believers, who bear witness to the fact by their 
Christian profession, and also by the godly character 
of their daily lives. 2 

The icork of the Church is to instruct the people 
in the principles and practice of the Gospel, to test- 
ify to a living faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of 
God and the Saviour of men, to show forth and cher- 
ish the spirit of fellowship among Christians, to train 
up the children in the nurture and admonition of 
the Lord, and to seek for the conversion of sinners. 3 

The institutions of the Church are the Christian 
Ministry, the Christian Sabbath, the Christian Fam< 
ily, and the Christian Sacraments of Baptism and 
the Lord's Supper. The administration of these sac- 
raments, the taking of the marriage vows, the solemn 
rites for the burial of the dead, and the conducting of 
public worship, are all usually in charge of the Min- 
istry; that is, of men called and set apart for that pur- 
pose. 4 

172 



THE FELLOWSHIP OP BELIEVERS. 173 

As it is the duty of all men to seek the grace of 
God in the forgiveness of their sins and the renew- 
ing of their hearts through our Lord Jesus Christ; 
so it is also the duty of every true believer in Christ 
to unite with some branch of his visible Church; in 
order, to confess publicly his faith in Christ as a 
Saviour, to share the sympathies and privileges of 
God's children, and to bear his portion of their re- 
sponsibilities for the maintenance and extension of 
Christ's kingdom on earth. 5 

Moreover, every duly constituted Church is in- 
vested with a measure of authority over its own 
members, to receive those who are truly seeking 
after the grace of God, to conduct its own services 
and manage its own affairs decently and in order, 
and also to exclude those who become persistently 
neglectful, unworthy, and subversive of good order. 6 

As the Apostolic Church was spread abroad with- 
out absolute unity of rule and visible organization, 
so we believe that such visible unity is not absolutely 
required at the present day in order to our salvation. 
Yet we desire to cherish " the unity of the Spirit in 
the bonds of peace," and we hope to see a day when 
all branches of the Church, still holding to the plain 
teachings of the Gospel, shall be more closely united 
in the name and work of our common Lord, even as 
most of us are already united to Him by a historic 
succession of the hands of the elders. 7 



" Christ alone is the Head of the Church, by his 
truth to instruct it; by his authority to govern it; 
by his grace to quicken it; by his providence to pro- 
tect and guide it; by his Holy Spirit to bless and 
sanctify it." 

Unknown. 



174 THE FELLOWSHIP OP BELIEVERS. 

" The Church is the great uplifting and conserving 
agency in the world, without which the race of men 
would soon relapse into barbarism, and press its way 
to perdition." 

Sample. 

" The Church of Christ glories in her history, in 
her brotherhood, in her conquering march over the 
world, as being the custodian of great ideas, as hav- 
ing furnished a complete account of the moral econ- 
omy, — explaining sin, interpreting conscience, mani- 
festing God, and paving the way for man's return to 
the Almighty." 

F. L. Patton. 

REFERENCES. 

* John 10 : 16, 17 : 11. 20-24. Acts 1 : 13-14, 2 : 1, 41-47, 
4:32, 5:12-14, 8:1, 9:31, 11:22-26. 1 Cor. 1:2. Gal. 
1:2. 1 Thess. 1:1, etc. 

2 Matt. 16 : 16-18. Acts 4 : 11-12. 1 Cor. 3 : 9-11. Ephes. 

2 : 19-22, 4 : 1-6. 1 Peter 2 : 4-10. 

' Matt. 28:18-20. Acts 10:42-43. Rom. 12:4-8. 1 Cor. 
12:7-13,14:26. Luke 18 : 16. Ephes. 6 : 4. Col. 3:15-17. 
1 Peter 2 : 12. Jas. 5 : 19-20. 

* Acts 1 : 17, 24-26, 6 : 2-5. 1 Cor. 12 : 27-28. Ephes. 
4 : 11-12. Acts 20 : 7. 1 Cor. 16 : 2. Ephes 5 : 22-23, 6 : 1-4. 
1 Peter 3 : 1-7. Matt. 28 : 19. Luke 22 : 15-20. Acts 2 : 41- 
42, 8:12, 9:18, 10:47-48. 1 Cor. 10:14-17, 21, 11:20-29. 
Acts 13 : 1-3, 14 : 23. 1 Tim. 4:6, 5 : 17-19. 

5 Matt. 10 : 32, 11 : 30, 12 : 29-30. Luke 11 : 23, 12 : 8. 
Mark 8 : 38. John 5 : 23-24. 1 Cor. 12 : 12-26. Gal. 6 : 2-6. 

6 Matt. 16 : 19, 18 : 15-20. John 20 : 20-23. Acts 8 : 18-24. 
Rom. 16 : 17. 1 Cor. 5 : 6-13. 1 Thess. 5 : 12-13. 2 Thess. 

3 : 14, 15. Heb. 13 : 7, 17. 1 Peter 5 : 1-5. 

7 Luke 9 : 49-50. Acts 18 : 24-28, 19 : 1-7. 1 Cor. 1 : 9-13, 
3 : 1-9. Gal. 1 : 15-24, 2 : 1-13. Ephes. 4 : 1-3. Rev. 2 : 1-3. 
1 Tim. 4 : 14, 5 : 22. Acts 6 : 6, 13 : 3. 2 Tim. 1 : 6-14. 

QUESTIONS. 

Why do we need the fellowship of all true believers? 

State the general basis of union in doctrine. 

What are the two marks of this faith in true Christians? 



THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS. 175 

State five objects of the work of the Church. 

Name five institutions of the Christian Church? 

What matters are usually in charge of the Ministry? 

Give two reasons why all men should seek the grace of 
God. 

Give three reasons why every one should unite with the 
Church. 

In what respects is each true Church clothed with au- 
thority ? 

Is absolute unity of visible organizations essential? Why 
not? 

How is a spiritual unity still possible and desirable? 

PRAYER. 

O God, I thank Thee for the Institution of Thy 
Church, with all its precious associations, its sacred 
teachings, its spiritual power, its holy ordinances, 
and its privileges of fellowship with Thy children, 
with Thy Son, and with Thyself. May I ever be ready 
to confess Christ before men, to take up my own 
duties in a manly spirit, and thus to seek the peace, 
the sanctity, and the rule of Thy kingdom among 
men, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 



HYMN. (TUNE, ST. THOMAS.) 

I love Thy kingdom, Lord, 

The house of Thine abode, 

The Church our blest Redeemer saved 
With His own precious blood. 

I love Thy Church, O God! 

Her walls before Thee stand, 
Dear as the apple of thine eye, 

And graven on Thy hand. 

For her my tears shall fall; 

For her my prayers ascend; 
To her my cares and toils be given; 

Till toils and cares shall end. 



176 THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS. 

Beyond my highest joy 

I prize her heavenly ways, 

Her sweet communion, solemn vows, 
Her hymns of love and praise. 

Sure as Thy truth shall last 

To Zion shall be given 
The brightest glories earth can yield, 

And brighter bliss of heaven. 

Timothy Dwight. 



XXXIX. 

THE THINGS TO COME. 

Human life on this earth is brief and uncertain, 
for it is as " a vapor which appeareth for a little 
while, and then vanisheth away." The Scriptures 
treat this fact sometimes with simple pathos, and 
sometimes with an air of serene majesty, based on 
the fact that God still rules above, and that He will 
surely care for his own, both in this life and in the 
world to come. 1 

Jesus Christ and the apostles speak of death as a 
mere passing of the soul out of one world into an- 
other; and the importance of this transition is 
chiefly because Jt precedes the judgment of God 
which fixes our # moral and spiritual state forever. 
To the child of God, therefore, death is but entering 
into a larger and more blessed life with Christ; but 
to the unsaved it is the end of hope and joy. 2 

The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is in- 
structive here, but it leaves many questions still 
unanswered. We learn, however, that the final state 
of the righteous and that of the impenitent is seen, 
in part, immediately after the death of the body, and 
that beyond the grave there is no place for repent- 
ance. 3 But the Gospel seems to declare that this 
world and human history are but running a course 
that will presently come to an end in God's own 
appointed time, after the Gospel shall have been 
preached unto all the nations of the earth, and all 
the divine plans and prophecies have been fulfilled. 4 
12 177 



178 THE THINGS TO COME. 

It is usually understood that the Millenium, or age 
of righteousness and peace, will precede the end; 
but what that shall be is not fully known, either as 
to its extent or its precise moral nature. Then will 
be the second coming of Christ, the Lord, to this 
world, accompanied by the angels of God and all the 
glory of his Father's kingdom, to call the dead to 
life, and to judge the world according to the deeds 
done in the body, whether they be good or bad, and 
to gather his elect from the four quarters of 
heaven. 6 

Here again, we are in great ignorance as to the 
way and manner in which these things shall come to 
pass; but we are assured that the event will be aw- 
ful and mysterious, and that it will mark the end 
of earthly time; after which the good will be re- 
ceived into the kingdom prepared for them by the 
Father, while the evil and reprobate will be cast 
away from him forever. 6 

That the present world should come to an end 
is not only not impossible, but it is in harmony with 
all that we see and know of created things; neither 
is it strange that earthly time should come to a 
close in a manner befitting the dignity of human 
nature and the glorious majesty of God. 

Beyond the judgment, we are told that the 
reprobate shall be cast into an abyss of fire, which is 
the second death; but the children of God shall 
dwell in the city of saints called the New Jerusalem, 
where Christ is, and the tree of eternal life, and 
the celestial river. Even if these expressions are to 
be taken as figurative, that does not materially affect 
the outcome of eternal life in a future state of 
blessedness or woe. 7 



THE THINGS TO COME. 179 

" It is impossible that anything so natural, so 
necessary, and so universal, as death, should ever 
have been designed by Providence as an evil to 
mankind." 

Swift. 

" If thou expect death as a friend, prepare to en- 
tertain him; if as an enemy, prepare to overcome 
him. Death has no advantage, except when he comes 
as a stranger." 

Quaeles. 

"Let the end come when it will, it can do the 
Christian no harm, for it will be a passage out of a 
prison into a palace; out of a sea of troubles into a 
haven of rest; out of a crowd of enemies, to an in- 
numerable company of angels; out of shame, re- 
proach and contempt, into exceeding great and 
eternal glory. 

Bunyan. (Adapted.) 

" If God hath made this world so fair, 
Where sin and death abound. 
How beautiful beyond compare, 
Will Paradise be found! " 

Montgomery. 

REFERENCES. 

1 Job 7:6-10, 9:25-26, 16:22. Ps. 90:3-6, 10, 12, 
103:13-16. Jas. 4: 13-16. 1 Peter 1:24-25. 1 John 
2 : 15-17. 1 Cor. 7 : 29-31. 

2 John 7 : 33-34, 13 : 36, 14 : 1-4. Acts 7 : 59-60. 2 Cor. 
5 : 1-10. Phil. 1 : 21-23. 2 Tim. 4 : 6-8. Heb. 9 : 27. 2 
Peter 1 : 12-15. Luke 12 : 15-21. 

3 Luke 16 : 19-31, 13 : 25-30, 23 : 43. Matt. 24 : 42-51, 
25 : 1-13. Heb. 12 : 16-17. Rev. 6 : 12-17. 

* Matt. 24 : 3-14. Mark 13 : 3-10. Luke 21 : 7-24, 34-36. 
1 Thess. 5 : 1-8. 2 Thess. 2 : 1-4, 7-10. 2 Peter 3 : 1-13. 
Rev. 10 : 1-7. 



180 THE THINGS TO COME. 

5 Isa. 11 : 9-11. Zech. 14 : 6-9. Mai. 1 : 11. Heb. 2 : 14. 
Rev. 20 : 1-8. Matt. 24 : 27-31, 25 : 31-46, 26 : 64. Mark 
8 : 38, 13 : 24-27, 14 : 62. Luke 17 : 24, 21 : 27. Acts 1 : 9-11. 
Rev. 20 : 11-15. 

6 Matt. 13 : 36-43, 47-50, 24 : 36-51. Mark 13 : 32-37. 
Luke 12 : 32-48. Acts 17 : 30-31. Rom. 2 : 3-12. 2 Thess. 
1 : 7-10. Rev. 1 : 7. 

7 Heb. 4 : 9-11. John 12 : 25-26, 17 : 24. Mark 9 : 42-50. 
1 Thess. 4 : 13-18. Rev. 4 : 1-5, 7 : 9-17, 17 : 8, 20 : 12-15, 
21, 22. 

QUESTIONS. 

To what is human life compared by James? 

How do the Scriptures treat this great subject? 

How do Jesus Christ and the apostles speak of death? 

What then is the real importance of this change? 

Where do we learn the conditions of souls just after 
death? 

What will finally become of this world, and when? 

What is meant by the Millenium? 

What events will occur at Christ's second coming? 

What do we know about the time and manner of this 
event? 

Is it anything strange that the world should come to an 
end? 

Is it to be expected that this end will be majestic? Why? 

What will become of the reprobate after the judgment? 

Where will the redeemed of Christ then dwell? 



PRAYER. 

Lord, make me to know mine end, and the meas- 
ure of my days, what it is; that I may know how 
frail I am. Yet help me to fill my heart and hands 
with happy service; because blessed is that servant, 
whom, when his Lord cometh, he shall find at the 
post of duty. In Thy presence is fulness of joy, and 
at Thy right there are pleasures forevermore. May 

1 so live on earth that I may never come short of 
thy mercies; for Jesus' sake. Amen. 



THE THINGS TO COME. 181 

HYMN. (TUNE, DIES IRAE.) 

Day of wrath, dreadful day! 
When this world shall pass away, 
And the heavens together roll, 
Shriveling like a parched scroll, 
Long foretold by saint and sage, 
David's harp and sibyl's page. 

Day of terror, day of doom, 
When the Judge at last shall come! 
Through the deep and silent gloom, 
Shrouding every human tomb, 
Shall the archangel's trumpet tone, 
Summon all before the throne. 

O just Judge, to whom belongs 
Vengeance for all earthly wrongs, 
Grant forgiveness, Lord, at last, 
Ere the dread account be past! 
Lo, my sighs, my guilt, my shame! 
Spare me for Thine own great name. 

Thou who bad'st the sinner cease 
From her tears, and go in peace, 
Thou who to the dying thief 
Spakest pardon and relief. 
Thou, O Lord, to me hast given, 
E'en to me, the hope of heaven. 
Thomas of Celano. Tr. by Arthur P. Stanley. 



XL. 

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. 

Out of the midst of this wonderful history, these 
lofty moral and spiritual truths, and these mysterious 
shadows of the future which come to us from the 
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, there 
arises always one high clear note of invitation and 
warning from God. It is the note of our personal 
responsibility to him for the use or neglect of our 
present opportunities to become acquainted with his 
law and reconciled to His will through His Son 
Jesus Christ, the Word of the Gospel, the exercises 
of personal prayer, and the appointed means of 
grace. 1 

However simple, or narrow, or strange the Way 
may seem, it is the Way that leads to eternal life; 
and those who seek it find a personal peace and bless- 
edness therein that is above all words and all price, 
so that even their neighbors call it a blessed life; 
whereas all who go to the contrary way find nothing 
at last but darkness and ashes as their reward. 2 

The Holy Spirit of God is calling on all men every- 
where, especially in these days of enlightenment, to 
forsake their evil ways, to trust in God and do the 
right, to believe in Jesus Christ, his Son, who hath 
brought life and immortality to light through the 
Gospel, and to confess Him before men that He may 
confess us before his Father. We are thus called 
not only to a theoretical faith; but to a holy life of 
prayer and righteousness, and to an experience of 
divine grace in our inmost soul. 3 
182 



PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. 183 

The question then before every human soul is, 
Will I hear the voice of the good Spirit? Will I 
accept the teachings of Jesus Christ as my rule of 
life? Will I obey the requirements of the Gospel for 
salvation? This is sometimes easy, and sometimes it 
seems hard; but the result is surely worth all pos- 
sible cost, both for this present life and the world 
to come.* 

Two great practical hindrances are commonly met 
with in this connection. One is the disposition to 
put off our definite religious consecration to God 
until a more convenient time, which never comes; 
but leaves us at the last betrayed by our own 
neglect. The other is a desire to compromise the 
matter by pleasing God in part and ourselves still 
more, or by serving Christ in part and the world still 
more; but against all such half-hearted resolutions 
we are earnestly warned in the Scriptures, " Ye can- 
not serve God and Mammon," was said by our Lord; 
and the apostle James says, " A double-minded man 
is unstable in all his ways." 6 

Therefore there is no other way remaining to the 
sincere and earnest soul than that of the fishermen 
by the sea of Galilee, who, when they heard the 
voice of the Master, " immediately forsook all and 
followed him." And later, when they asked him 
what they should have, he answered, " In the regen- 
eration, when the Son of Man shall sit upon the 
throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve 
thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel." 6 



" If ever I reach heaven I expect to find three 
wonders there; first, to meet some I had not thought 
to see there; second, to miss some I had expected 



184 PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. 

to see there; and third, the greatest wonder of all, 
to find myself there." 

John Newton. 

" One sweetly solemn thought, comes to me o'er and 
o'er, 
I'm nearer to my home to-day, than I ever have 
been before: 
Nearer my Father's house, where the many mansions 
be; 
Nearer the great white throne, nearer the crystal 
sea; 
Nearer the bound of life, where I lay my burden 
down; 
Nearer leaving my cross; nearer wearing my 
crown? 

Phoebe Cart. 
REFERENCES. 

1 Matt. 10 : 39-41, 16 : 24-27, 18 : 12-14, 22 : 1-14. Mark 
8 : 34-38. Luke 6 : 46-49. 11 : 9-13. 23, 12 : 8-9, 33-48, 13 : 1-5, 
24-30, 14 : 16-24. John 1 : 12, 3 : 14-21, 6 : 35-40, 12 : 35-36, 
44-48. Rom. 14 : 12. Gal. 6 : 7-8. 1 John 1 : 8-9, 2 : 1-5. 
Rev. 22 : 17. 

8 Matt. 7 : 13-14. Luke 14 : 25-33. Rom. 8 : 1-6. Col. 
1 : 9-14. Ps. 40 : 1-3. Isa. 35 : 8-10, 59 : 1-2. Rev. 21 : 8, 
27. 22: 11, 15. 

3 1 Tim. 2 : 3-6. 2 Tim. 1 : 9-10. Titus 2 : 11-14, 3 : 3-7. 
Phil. 2 : 12-13. Heb. 13 : 20-21. 

* Rom. 8 : 26-27. 1 Thess. 4 : 7-8. 1 John 4 : 9-10. Matt. 
7:24-27. Luke 8:11-18, 18:28-30. 

5 Matt. 6 : 24. Luke 16 : 13. Acts 24 : 25, 26 : 27-28. 2 
Tim. 4 : 10. Jas. 1 : 5-8, 4 : 7-10. 1 Peter 4 : 17-19. 

6 Matt. 4 : 18-22 19 : 27-29. Luke 22 : 28-30. Rom. 
8 : 18-19. 1 John 3 : 1-2. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is the leading and most practical theme in the 
entire range of teaching in the Scriptures? 

What are some of the present means offered us for he- 
coming acquainted with God and saved through Christ V 



PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. 185 

Is this way sometimes felt to be a narrow road? 
What are some of its precious compensations? 
What is the result of following the contrary way? 
What is the Holy Spirit calling on all men to do? 
What besides a formal faith is included in this call? 
What then is the practical question for each soul? 
How is the cost of this life to be estimated? 
What two hindrances are commonly met with? 
What do the Scriptures say of a divided mind? 
What great example of decision is in the Gospels? 
What was the promise of Christ to his disciples? 



PRAYER. 

O God, my heavenly Father, and the Father of my 
Saviour Jesus Christ, grant that I may not spend my 
years in vanity, nor delay the consecration that shall 
make me forever a true child of thine. May I come 
to the throne of everlasting grace to-day, leaving all 
sin and evil affection behind me, and may thy seal 
of pardon and love be set upon me by the Holy Spirit. 
So may I live for thee, through Christ my Redeemer, 
that I may also dwell with thee in heaven at last, 
for thy mercy's sake. Amen. 



HYMN. (TUNE, ELLESDIE.) 

Jesus, I my cross have taken 

All to leave and follow Thee; 
Destitute, despised, forsaken, 

Thou from hence my all shalt be; 
Perish every fond ambition, 

All I've sought, or hoped, or known, 
Yet how rich is my condition, 

God and heaven are still my own. 

Let the world despise and leave me, 
They have left my Saviour too, 

Human hearts and looks deceive me, 
•Thou art not, like them, untrue. 



186 PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. 

And while Thou shalt shine upon me, 
God of wisdom, love and might, 

Foes may hate and friends may shun me; 
Show Thy face, and all is bright. 

Men may trouble and distress me, 

'Twill but drive me to Thy breast; 
Life with trials hard may press me; 

Heaven will bring me surer rest. 
" Haste Thee on from grace to glory 

Armed by faith and winged by prayer; 
Heaven's eternal day's before thee, 

God's own hand shall guide thee there." 
Henby F. Lyte. 



THE HEAVENLY CITY. 
HYMN. (TUNE, MATERNA.) 



O motheb dear, Jerusalem! 

When shall I come to thee? 
When shall my sorrows have an end? 

Thy joys when shall I see? 
O happy harbor of God's saints! 

O sweet and pleasant soil! 
In thee no sorrow may be found, 

No grief, no care, no toil. 

Thy gardens and thy goodly walks 

Continually are green; 
Where grow such sweet and pleasant flowers 

As nowhere else are seen; 
Right through Thy streets with silver sound, 

The living waters flow, 
And on the banks on either side 

The trees of life do grow. 

Those trees forevermore bear fruit 

And evermore do spring; 
There evermore the angels are, 

And evermore do sing, 
O my sweet home, Jerusalem, 

Thy joys when shall I see? 
The King which sitteth on thy throne 

In His felicity? 



Unknown. 



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